Alexander Bublik brutally mocks Corentin Moutet after 'punishing' rival at Paris Masters

Alexander Bublik wasn't pulling any punches after beating French star Corentin Moutet at the Paris Masters. Ahead of the match, Moutet shared his wish to get the win and "send Bublik home", but it was the Kazakh who came out on top, sealing a 6-3 7-5 victory.

Moutet was made to eat his words, as Bublik mocked him by writing "on the way home" on the camera lens after the match. And the world No. 16 added insult to injury in a fiery post-match interview.

Asked how he dealt with the occasion of facing Moutet in front of the world No. 32's home crowd, Bublik bluntly replied: "Obviously he spoke too much before the match, you know, he spoke too much, and I just have to punish him, so I had no other option."

He also elaborated on his message on the camera lens. "Well, he said that he will do everything to send me home, so it's nice that he lives in Paris and it's not too far with a taxi, you know?" the 28-year-old added.

Both Bublik and Moutet are no strangers to controversy. They've both had their fair share of run-ins with umpires, and even had an altercation when they met in the Phoenix Challenger quarter-final earlier this year.

The umpire and supervisor had to step in and separate the two players when Bublik asked Moutet if he wanted to "go outside and fight".

So it was no surprise that Moutet was out for revenge when they met at the Paris La Defense Arena. Ahead of the match, the world No. 32 said: "We know he's very provocative with many players, he likes to mock his opponents. I'm going to stay focused on my game, with the help of the crowd.

"We've had our differences in the past, let's just say he doesn't represent the values I stand for as an athlete in his behavior. But well, we're all different, and that's important for tennis too. I'm going to come in highly motivated and try to send him packing."

While Bublik was focused on proving Moutet wrong and sending him home instead, the world No. 16 was also pleased with his performance - especially compared to his first-round match against Alexei Popyrin - and he thrived on the 16,000-strong centre court despite playing against the French fans.

The Paris Masters is being held at a new venue this year, moving from the Accor Arena in Bercy to the La Defense Arena, and Bublik enjoyed the conditions on the main court after playing his opening match on the smaller Court 1.

"It was definitely a much better match from my end, I really like the court, it's bigger so I'm more used to the conditions when you have more space, I would say," he explained.

"The ceiling is high and the Court No. 1 is a bit too small, it gives you the feeling that the balls are flying fast because it's too slow, so the guy hits it harder, and on a smaller court, that's how you feel it, especially for me.

"Here, especially Corentin is not hitting that hard, it's way more comfortable way of playing, way more comfortable way of unleashing my shots that I do feel well today. I'm really happy with the performance."

Bublik won't be going home just yet - he's heading into the round of 16, where he takes on Taylor Fritz. As for Moutet, the Frenchman has one tournament left for the season, next week's ATP 250 in Metz, before he can spend some proper time at home.