Frenchman Halys claims maiden ATP title in Kitzbühel

Quentin Halys, the world's 83rd-ranked player, secured his maiden ATP tour title on Saturday, triumphing at the Kitzbühel 250 tournament in Austria. The French player defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the top seed, with a final score of 6-4, 7-6 (6).

Halys, 29, replicated his earlier success against Bublik, whom he also beat on August 17 in the Gstaad (Switzerland) round of 16. Both tournaments are ATP 250 events played on clay. While his Gstaad victory involved a three-set comeback, Halys's win in Kitzbühel was more decisive, achieved in two sets.

The Frenchman's victory was built on a solid serve, which he did not lose at any point during the match. He notably opened the match with four consecutive aces. The first set remained close until Halys broke Bublik's serve at 5-4, after the Kazakh player had saved a set point. In the second set, Bublik attempted a comeback but struggled to find his best form, leading to a tiebreak.

Bublik initially led the tiebreak 2-0, but Halys managed the pressure effectively, mounting a comeback to win 8-6 with his first match point. Halys becomes the first Frenchman to win the Kitzbühel title. He served 17 aces to Bublik's six and won 87 percent of points on his first serve. This maiden title comes two years after his first ATP final in Gstaad in July 2024, where he lost to Italy's Matteo Berrettini.