Molcan reached the main draw of the German ATP 500 event through qualifying, where he first had to come back from a set down against Spanish opponent Roberto Carballes Baena, and then overcame American Emilio Nava.
After those successes, he knew he was in for a tough challenge in the opening round of the ATP tournament, facing Bublik.
The Slovak started the match perfectly - he broke the favourite’s serve right away, held his own serve to confirm the break, and led 2-0. However, he soon lost that promising lead and the score was level again.
Molcan managed another break and even had a chance for a third in the ninth game, holding two set points on his opponent’s serve. He didn’t convert them, but it didn’t matter, as he secured the opening set in the very next game.
The second set was much more straightforward - Molcan never faltered on serve, broke Bublik twice, and sealed the surprise victory on his third match point.
With this win, the Slovak shocked the heavily favoured opponent and claimed his first victory over a top-20 player in three years. In the round of 16, he will face Daniel Altmaier, ranked 56th in the world.