WATCH: Alexander Bublik befuddled by 13-year-old table tennis prodigy in Chengdu

Shang Juncheng wasn't the only Chinese teenager to get the better of Alexander Bublik this week in Chengdu. The second-seeded Kazakh, who lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion Shang, also found himself on the losing end of a table tennis match against a local 13-year-old prodigy.

"Will his underarm serve come in handy?" teased the ATP on social media this week about the mercurial Kazakh's meeting with the youngster, chronicled in a tournament promotional video. As it turned out, the answer was no.

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"It's a completely different sport," Bublik joked at the start of the match, saying that even winning three points in the set the pair played would be "a highlight."

Bublik was not only impressed by the youngster's rally tolerance—"How long can he stay like this? Three hours?" he quipped as he watched him practice before they met each other—but also his technique. Returning serve also proved a challenge.

But in the end, Bublik achieved his goal—winning three points—and presented his opponent with a giant autographed tennis ball.

"It's tough for tennis players, because we're used to doing really big swings," Bublik said. "And here, you see that he's playing with a very short swing. ... What am I supposed to do now?"

The answer? Get back to playing full-sized tennis. Bublik is seeded No. 8 this week at the ATP 500 China Open.