Kazakh tennis player Alexander Bublik left his Chilean opponent Cristian Garin completely shell-shocked on Friday as he dished out a perfect no-look underarm ace during their quarter-final clash at the Hamburg Open. In a video shared by ATP, Bublik is seen serving in the first set to Garin. Bublik is looking down, as if getting ready to serve, but without even looking up, he expertly pulls off an underarm serve, stays low and bounces well short of Garin, catching him completely off guard.
The Chilean looks incensed and complains, but to no avail as a smug-looking Bublik is awarded the point and the game.
Watch Bublik’s unconventional ace here:
Thoughts on this underarm ace? or
: @TennisTV | ?? Alexander Bublik | #HamburgOpenpic.twitter.com/klcVgbv64t
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 25, 2020
Fans had plenty to say about the incident.
“It’s annoying, but legal,” wrote one Twitter user.
“He was ready. Both feet in position. Three steps behind the line. That’s what annoyed him. Legal serve. Fair and square,” wrote another user.
Former American tennis player Pam Shriver opined that there was nothing controversial about Bublik’s effort.
Responding to the video, she wrote: “all good with this strategic serve.”
Promoted
Bublik went on to win the first set, but if Garin was upset by the Kazakh’s cheeky serve, he was the one who had the last laugh, winning the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Garin will face second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final of the Hamburg Open on Saturday.
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