Overview
- World No. 16 Alexander Bublik beat Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-3 in the Paris Masters first round and will face either Reilly Opelka or Corentin Moutet next.
- Bublik said he declined the handshake because Popyrin celebrated two net cords, including on a break point, which he viewed as a violation of the sport’s code.
- The snub, captured on video, revived attention to prior friction between the pair following a frosty handshake in Madrid in April.
- Popyrin’s defeat was his fourth in a row and he is projected to fall outside the top 50, leaving his Australian Open seeding in doubt.
- Among other Australian results, Aleksandar Vukic beat Terence Atmane to reach the second round, while sixth seed Alex de Minaur received a first‑round bye.