Bublik victorious in Paris Masters opener, Dimitrov makes winning return

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM ATP MASTERS 1000 PARIS RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 27, 2025) (ATP MEDIA / IMG – See restrictions before use) ALEXEI POPYRIN V ALEXANDER BUBLIK  FIRST SET 1. BUBLIK VOLLEY WINNER 2. SET POINT – BUBLIK TAKES SET 6-4 WITH A FOREHAND SECOND SET 3. BUBLIK BRINGS UP BREAK POINT WITH A FOREHAND WINNER 4. RALLY ENDS WITH POPYRIN HITTING AN OVERHEAD VOLLEY WINNER 5. MATCH POINT – POPYRIN GOES WIDE WITH A BACKHAND, BUBLIK WINS 6-4 6-3 6. BUBLIK SHAKING HANDS WITH UMPIRE, SNUBBING POPYRIN 7. BUBLIK CELEBRATING GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD V GRIGOR DIMITROV FIRST SET 8. DIMITROV HITS AN OVERHEAD WINNER SECOND SET 9. DIMITROV HITS A BACKHAND PAST MPETSHI PERRICARD TO FORCE BREAK POINT  10. SET POINT – MPETSHI PERRICARD GOES LONG WITH A FOREHAND, DIMITROV WINS 7-6(5) 6-1 11. PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS, SHAKING HANDS WITH CHAIR UMPIRE 12. DIMITROV TAKING APPLAUSE KAREN KHACHANOV V ETHAN QUINN SECOND SET 13. MATCH POINT – VARIOUS OF KHACHANOV WINNING 6-1 6-1 WITH A BACKHAND ALEX MICHELSEN V ZIZOU BERGS SECOND SET 14. MATCH POINT – MICHELSEN NETS A FOREHAND, BERGS WINS 6-3 2-6 6-2/ MICHELSEN SMASHES RACQUET, BERGS CELEBRATES BY MOON WALKING STORY: Alexander Bublik advanced past Alexei Popyrin and into the second round at the Paris Masters with a 6-4 6-3 win on Monday (October 27).  The testy encounter ended with Kazakhstan's Bublik snubbing Popyrin of Australia by skipping the customary post-match handshake with their head-to-head record now level at 2-2.  It was 13th seed Bublik's 34th win of 2025 – a season which has seen him lift four tour-level titles – as he retains an outside chance of finishing the campaign as a top eight ranked player and qualifying for a first-ever ATP Finals.  Grigor Dimitrov, meanwhile, made a winning return to the Tour with a 7-6(5) 6-1 victory over home hopeful Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first match since early July. The Bulgarian veteran and previous finalist at the Paris Masters had been out of action since he was forced to retire from his Wimbledon round of 16 match against Jannik Sinner up two sets to love due to a pectoral injury.  Elsewhere on Monday, 10th seed Russian Karen Khachanov cruised past qualifier Ethan Quinn 6-1 6-1, while Belgium's Zizou Bergs defeated another American in Alex Michelsen 6-3 2-6 6-2.  (Production: Conal Quinn)

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