WATCH: Alexander Bublik turns showman at Miami Open, hits overhead winner using racquet handle
There are normal overhead winners in tennis and there are overhead winners involving Alexander Bublik. The Russian-born Kazakhstan player turned showman once again at the ongoing Miami Open when he dished out a winner using his racquet handle during his first-round match against JJ Wolf.
Although Wolf triumphed 7-5, 6-3 in the first-round match, Bublik's innovative return shot hogged the limelight.
Known for his flamboyant style on the court, this isn't the first time Bublik has used his racquet handle for a shot. He used it at the same tournament last year against Casper Rudd, and also at the Moselle Open final.
During his first-round match against Wolf, a shot from the American hit the net and went up in the air, giving Alexander Bublik a chance to show his creativity. The former World No. 30 then lined himself to the ball and used his racquet handle to time an overhead winner to perfection.
You can watch the video below:
While Alexander Bublik's stunt at the Miami Open won him a point, he wasn't lucky enough when he played the same shot in the Moselle Open final against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian player replied with a perfect slice backhand up the line, forcing Bublik to miss his volley on the stretch and subsequently lost grip on the match.
Alexander Bublik critical of ATP's on-court coaching rules
Alexander Bublik was recently critical of the ATP as the organization sanctioned him for on-court coaching during his quarterfinal match at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille in February.
The Kazakh took a break during his last-eight match against Grigor Dimitrov to speak with his coach Artem Suprunov about his serve, which the chair umpire had objected to as it was in the form of a "conversation."
The World No. 48 opined that the ATP should 'clarify their rules' and that if on-court coaching is permitted, it should be permitted completely. For the record, the ATP has allowed on-court coaching since the middle of 2022.
"I think the ATP needs to just clarify their rules and if they allow coaching, allow it! It is not interrupting the play because that’s why I stood up 40 seconds before the changeover," Bublik had said after his Open 13 Provence match against Dimitrov.
"I’m not the kind of guy to talk to someone to try to interrupt the game. Nobody gets coached by yelling and saying ‘Bend your legs’ or something. Maybe someone does, but not with me," he added.
The 25-year-old had stated that he would speak with the ATP later because he wanted to have a "clear vision" of how things will progress in the future.