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Alexander Bublik has insisted that he decided not to shake the hand of Alexei Popyrin at the Paris Masters because the Australian didn’t apologise when he benefited from two lucky net cords during the match.

The Russian-born Kazakhstani tennis star secured his safe passage to the second round after winning the match 6-4, 6-3.

After the match, Bublik was asked whether he had been annoyed by Popyrin’s failure to offer an apology.

And the 28-year-old explained: “Well, precisely because if someone clips two net cords and doesn’t apologise, but celebrates as if he’s won something…”

Discussing his refusal to shake Popyrin’s hand, Bublik then added: “I just don’t see anything wrong with that. I think any reasonable person would have done the same in my place, that is, if I had ever done that.

“They can celebrate and then apologise. I’m not one to cling to that, but they apologise for it. There is a code, there is a kind of etiquette. If someone doesn’t comply with it, why should I comply with another?”