(VIDEO) Alexander Bublik vents frustration with racquet smash during Hijikata upset

Alexander Bublik produced a moment of visible frustration during his Indian Wells clash with Rinky Hijikata after destroying his racquet at the end of the second set. The Kazakh reacted immediately after losing the tie-break, slamming the racquet against the court before heading to his chair ahead of the deciding set.

The world No. 10 had taken the opening set in a tightly contested encounter largely dominated by serve. However, the match remained balanced throughout, with Hijikata consistently forcing Bublik into tense service games and eventually pushing the contest into a decider.

Bublik’s outburst came at the conclusion of the second-set tie-break, when the Australian qualifier managed to level the match. The Kazakh broke his racquet on the court in Tennis Paradise, in frustration before play resumed for the third set.

Before the incident, the match had been defined by small margins. Bublik faced significant pressure late in the opening set, where Hijikata earned four set points at 5-5 on the Kazakh’s serve. Bublik managed to escape that moment and force a tie-break, where he closed the set strongly. The Kazakh won the final five points of the breaker to secure the opener 7-6.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players holding serve comfortably and creating few chances on return. Once again, the outcome was decided in a tie-break, this time with Hijikata taking control early and levelling the match.

After the changeover that followed the racquet destruction, Hijikata quickly gained the upper hand in the third set. The Australian secured an early break of serve, moving ahead 3-1 and placing Bublik under immediate pressure. From there, Hijikata remained steady on serve and maintained his advantage throughout the set. Bublik was unable to recover the break, allowing the qualifier to close out a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 victory.

The result represents a significant milestone for Hijikata, who recorded the first Top 10 win of his career and advanced to the Round of 16 at Masters 1000 level for the first time. The Australian is also projected to return inside the Top 100 and will next face Cameron Norrie for a place in the quarter-finals.