Alexander Bublik and Corentin Moutet's thriller meeting at the Phoenix Challenger didn't go without some late drama after the Kazakh, which led to the players needing to be separated.
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After routinely winning the first set with a 6-2 scoreline, the 79th-ranked Frenchman also opened an early 3-1 second-set lead. But the Kazakh wasn't interested in allowing his rival to complete a straight-set win and he managed to get the break back - force a second-set tie-break - and send the match into a decider.
More twists in the third set ensued as Bublik went 5-1 up before stunningly twice failing to serve out for the match. However, the Kazakh didn't panic and broke Moutet again in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead.
Bublik to Moutet: I don't give a s---
As the former world No. 17 was preparing to serve the opening point of the 12th game, the microphones caught his opponent saying: "I'm not ready." That wasn't met with much empathy from the Kazakh, who bluntly responded: "I don't give a s---." The crowd clearly heard it and broke into laughter.
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It turned out to be a third time lucky for Bublik, who served out to love the 12th game and completed his big comeback win.
But moments after the match was over, Moutet clearly didn't find his comments from a couple of minutes earlier funny and he exchanged some words with the Kazakh. At one point, even the chair umpire came down to try to de-escalate and separate the two.
Meanwhile, Bublik plays against Nuno Borges in the Phoenix final.
