A. BUBLIK/A. de Minaur
6-7, 6-4, 7-5
THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.
Q. It seems you like to play against Alex de Minaur in France. It's the second time you have beat him in a few months. How important was the match at the French Open, and did you have it somewhere in your mind today?
ALEXANDER BUBLIK: I guess only for preparation, because then you believe more in yourself, in a way. But it's been on the clay court, it's been nearly seven months ago, so it's a different match. It was a different match. It was different conditions. I mean, he also qualified for Turin yesterday.
So, you know, I tried, you know, to get ready in the same way like I was getting ready for him in Paris at Roland Garros. So the plan was the same like in the third, fourth, and fifth set, but I was happy to execute it well.
Q. You have just said that the conditions were different compared to Roland Garros. Of course, it's outdoor versus indoors. But you mentioned that the court was very slow here. Would you say it's slower than clay?
ALEXANDER BUBLIK: It's definitely slower than clay, in my opinion. Because on clay you have a higher bounce, especially the Paris clay, it has a higher bounce, and on clay the ball has more speed after it bounces. So after the bounce, it can generate the spin. You can move an opponent back with using a topspin.
Here is a bit different, but it's slower and it's not -- you don't have this kind of a whip, I would say, after the ball lands. If you do a great topspin or a great kick serve, you don't have this whip that puts opponent back on their back foot. So that's the biggest difference.
That's why the indoor hard, especially this one, is one of the slowest I have played, yes.
Q. You said at the beginning of the tournament that entering the top 10 was one of your long-term objectives. Do you believe it's still possible by the end of the year, or is it, as you say, a long-term objective, so if it happens in 2026, that's all right as well, you don't really mind?
ALEXANDER BUBLIK: I mean, hitting top 10 any time is great. It can happen any day. It can happen tomorrow, with certain circumstances match, it can happen tomorrow. It can happen next week in Metz. I don't know if I'm going to be -- if a couple of people retire from Turin, I'll get in, I win the match, it can happen there.
It's not about counting when it's going to happen. It's more about delivering the game and stay healthy and try to use your chances.
Q. Yes, you can become top 10. Felix can qualify for the ATP Finals. So this is a very important semifinal tomorrow. Would you say the most important match of your season, maybe of your life, I don't know? One of the most important, at least.
ALEXANDER BUBLIK: I don't know. It's tough to say. Sometimes I felt there was very important matches of my career that it turned out it was never near to be very important throughout the time. So we'll have to see, you know.
You never know, because if circumstance of a match, I will win the match, for example, and then someone has to lose, I don't know, because I was not counting that much. And then I'm gonna make it, and maybe I'm gonna be out because someone wins the next week.
So I don't know. Every match is important. To reach my first Masters final if I win is to maybe have a chance to be alternate in Nitto. So that's definitely an important match but not probably the most important of my life. You never know. We'll see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports