Having turned pro back in 2012, Quentin Halys finally got rid of his demons and won his first ATP title at the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel. The Frenchman stunned defending champion Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6 in the final to claim his maiden tour-level title. While it may have taken him a long time to win his first title, Halys is confident about winning many more of them in the near future.

“I’m not thinking too much about my age now because I’m feeling good and I think I have a few more years to play,” he said in an interview with ATPTour.com. “But of course, you want to win a title whenever you can. Now I’m 29, so let’s say I’m a bit late, but the level is so high now, so hopefully it’s going to give me more confidence. I feel I can win more titles, and I don’t feel too old now, so hopefully I have a few more years to play and a few more titles to win.”

Halys had entered the tournament after a quarterfinal exit from the Swiss Open. He didn’t drop a single set throughout his campaign in Kitzbuhel. The veteran racked up straight-set victories over the likes of Laslo Djere, Valentin Vacherot, Mariano Navone and Yannick Hanfmann to reach the final.

Halys was superb with his serve throughout the final. He began by firing four consecutive aces to win the opening game and never looked back from there. Bublik wasn’t even able to set up a break point as Halys won 41 out of 55 points on his serve.

A single break of serve was enough for the Frenchman to claim the opening set. The second set would then go down to the wire with both players failing to gain any breaks. But Halys eventually got the job done by clinching the breaker 8-6 and became the first Frenchman in the Open Era to triumph in Kitzbuhel.

Halys’ only previous appearance in a tour-level final had come in Gstaad in 2024. He had suffered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 defeat to Matteo Berrettini on that occasion. While Bublik was being considered the clear favorite for the final in Kitzbuhel, Halys defied all the odds and put in a performance that could see him defeat even the top 10 players.

The victory will see Halys make up ground on the ATP rankings. He is expected to climb 32 spots and reach the 51st position following his maiden title triumph. He is now just five places shy of his career-high ranking of No. 46. Additionally, he has become a major headache for Bublik in these past few days as he has now knocked out the Kazakh in two consecutive tournaments.

Quentin Halys defeats Alexander Bublik twice in just nine days

Halys and Bublik had previously met in the second round of the Swiss Open earlier this month. That match proved to be a much more entertaining watch than their meeting in the final of the Generali Open.

Halys had toppled Bublik 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 at Gstaad in a match that got suspended by rain at one stage. He didn’t allow the World No. 11 to gain even a single break point on that occasion as well. After an evenly-matched opening set that saw Bublik win the tiebreaker by 7-4, Halys would come roaring back and would level the match by taking the second set.

The deciding set would also be settled in a tiebreaker after both players held their respective serves. Halys won the breaker 7-5 to win the match and advance to the last 8. However, Bublik’s compatriot, Alexander Shevchenko, would get the better of the Frenchman in the next round by 7-6, 6-3.

With the Generali Open now concluded, Halys will have to shift his focus to hard courts. The hard swing is set to commence on July 27 with the Mubadala DC Open. Halys’ name isn’t present on the event’s entry list, so it is unlikely that he will be in action in the American capital. It remains to be seen which tournament he will choose to begin his hard-court season.