Alexander Bublik vs Alexei Popyrin Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Bublik to pile more misery on Popyrin in Paris opener

It's been a career-best season for Bublik - he's picked up four ATP titles and is currently No. 15 in the race to Turin. It's highly unlikely, but Bublik could still feature in the ATP Finals - but he'd need to win a maiden Masters 1000 title in Paris and then hope other results go his way. Nevertheless, Bublik should be viewed as one of the leading contenders this week - the Paris Masters is notorious for throwing up surprise champions, with the likes of Jack Sock, Karen Khachanov and Holger Rune crowned champions in recent years. An absolute beast indoors at his best, Bublik's name would not look out of place on the honour roll.

I think Bublik gets off to a winning start. Popyrin just hasn't been able to build on his career-best year in 2024 and has a negative win-loss record for the season, losing four of his last five matches heading into this contest. Bublik beat Popyrin in straight sets on the clay of Madrid and these conditions should favour him even more - backing the Kazakh in straights.

Popyrin leads 2-1, but Bublik has elevated his game and won the most-recent clash 6-4 7-6 in Madrid earlier this year.

Bublik comes into this clash with a 31-19 record on the season, rising to a career-high No. 16 in the rankings and collecting four ATP titles.

It was looking like a dire year for Bublik as he dropped out of the top 80 during the clay swing, but he's turned things around in magnificent fashion, making the French Open quarter-finals and winning titles in Halle, Gstaad, Kitzbuhel and Hangzhou, while he also made the R16 at the US Open, where it took Jannik Sinner to stop him.

Bublik might have been on track for a deep run at the Shanghai Masters, but an opening round loss to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot in three sets doesn't look as bad now.

The Kazakh featured in last week's ATP 500 event in Vienna, where he defeated Alejandro Tabilo and Francisco Cerundolo before going down once again to Sinner in the quarter-finals.

Bublik has a 4-5 record at the Paris Masters, but it's taken top 20 players to beat him in three of the last four editions. His best result was a R16 finish in 2023.

It's been a hugely disappointing year for Popyrin, who comes into this encounter with a 17-20 record and down at No. 49 in the rankings (career-high No. 19).

Popyrin appeared ready to take his game to the next level after his Canada Masters triumph last year, but he's still struggling with his consistency, while niggling injuries have also surfaced over the last 12 months.

The Aussie has showed glimpses of his best tennis this year in making the Monte Carlo and Montreal Masters quarter-finals, along with a R16 showing at Roland Garros.

However, Popyrin just hasn't been able to generate any momentum and heads into this contest with four defeats in his last five matches - including an opening round loss to Matteo Berrettini in Vienna last week.

Popyrin has a 4-3 record at the Paris Masters, making the R16 last year after beating Daniil Medvedev before going down to Karen Khachanov.

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