Tennis News: Infosys Hall of Fame Open - Alexander Bublik beats Andy Murray in Newport

Alexander Bublik took revenge for his second-round loss to Andy Murray at the Stuttgart Open with his victory in Newport. The third-seeded Kazhak dominated Andy Murray to take control of the match with his aggressive ground strokes and powerful groundstrokes. The first set went into a tiebreak, and Alexander Bublik clinched the opener with an excellent backhand winner. 

Alexander Bublik carried on with the winning momentum in the second set, but Andy Murray levelled the score after the 25-year-old Kazhak committed a double fault. However, Bublik pushed back and got a decisive break at 3-3 to build pressure on his Scottish opponent. Murray saved two match points, but Alexander Bublik sealed his victory with a final match point to secure a semifinal berth in Newport.

Andy Murray has a win-loss record of 19-11 for the ongoing season, including 7-3 on grass. He will move from World No. 52 to World No. 49 to break into the Top-50 on Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, owing to his excellent run at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.

In an on-court interview, Alexander Bublik said, "It is great to be in the semifinal again. I had never lost before. I came here only for one week, so I have to be engaged. I am engaged to play. I am engaged in trying to get as many matches as I can."

Alexander Bublik will meet with Jason Kubler of Australia in a semifinal clash on July 16. 

Jason Kubler advanced to the Last four after a 7-5, 7-6(7-3) victory over fellow Australian James Duckworth. The victory improved the win-loss record of the 29-year-old Australian for the ongoing season to 25-4.

It was the first victory of Jason Kubler against James Duckworth after losing to his compatriot at their previous four meetings.