Alexander “The Bublik Enemy” Bublik maintained his 100 per cent ATP Tour record over Ben “The Mountain” Shelton with a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 comeback win in the last 32 of the Madrid Open.

The Kazakh won their only other encounter on tour at the Italian Open last year, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

But the American won their meeting at UTS Los Angeles in 2023 with a resurgent victory of his own, 16-17, 17-14, 18-15, 20-10, en route to topping the Group B table and sealing his place in the Final Four.

This is the first time Bublik has won consecutive matches on clay since that tournament in Rome.

Shelton – seeded 14th – had come into the tournament with a perfect record on clay thus far in 2024, winning the title in Houston.