The Best of the Day preview rips a forehand down the line with tennis tips as Aussie ace Alex de Minaur squares off against Alexander Bublik in the Antalya Open final.

Tennis Tips – Alexander Bublik V Alex de Minaur

19:00 (AEDT) @ Kaya Palazzo Belek, Belek

History: First meeting

Final thoughts: The Best of the Day preview runs the rule over Alex de Minaur’s bid for a fourth ATP title. The 21-year-old Australian is the red-hot $1.20 favourite to account for fellow up-and-comer Alexander Bublik in the Antalya Open final.

Fourth seed de Minaur has cut a dominant path to the decider. A comprehensive serving performance underpinned a 6-2 6-1 victory over Malek Jaziri in the first round. The Sydney product then swept aside Adrian Adreev 6-3 6-1 by converting six of 12 break point opportunities.

De Minaur then dumped sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili out of the quarter-finals 6-2 6-4, dropping just one service game and capitalising on four of seven break point chances.

He passed his biggest test in Turkey to date with flying colours in the semis. De Minaur outlasted experienced second seed David Goffin 6-4 3-6 6-2, again serving superbly and taking his break opportunities.

The lightning-quick tyro won 85 percent of his first-serve points and won four of five break points on Goffin’s serve.

Eighth seed Bublik has been similar impressive over the past week, however. He comfortably accounted for Salvatore Caruso and Tristan Lamasine in straight sets to reach the quarters, where he upset top seed Matteo Berrettini 7-6 6-4.

It was just the world No.49’s second win over a top-10 player.

Bublik backed up that momentous result with a hard-fought 6-4 7-6 6-3 defeat of French veteran Jeremy Chardy in the semis.

Big-match experience favours de Minaur

The 23-year-old Kazakh has appeared in two ATP Tour finals previously. He last to John Isner in the Hall of Fame Open and Pablo Carreno Busta in the Chengdu Open deciders in the space of two months during 2019.

De Minaur, lining up in his eighth ATP Tour final, is ranked 23rd in the world. A career-first grand slam quarter-final appearance at the US Open and reaching the Swiss Indoors and European Open finals were the highlights of his disjointed 2020 ATP season.

De Minaur deserves to be the favourite here and should lift the silverware. But it shapes as a tighter Best of the Day battle than the odds indicate, with the towering Bublik – who has hit 40 aces on his way to the final – also in sizzling touch.

Tip: Set Betting – de Minaur 2-1 @ $3.60