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Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the quarterfinals of the Almaty Open on Wednesday, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin. The win was a major achievement for the 28-year-old Greek, who reached his 86th career quarterfinal on the ATP Tour, while also being the final professional match for the 38-year-old Kazakh veteran.
A dominant performance in Almaty
Tsitsipas displayed a controlled, consistent game throughout the contest, effectively neutralizing the veteran’s attempts to dictate play. According to the ATP Tour, this marks the third time this season the former world No. 3 has reached a quarterfinal stage, following similar runs in Doha and Gstaad. It is his first quarterfinal on indoor hard courts since Rotterdam last year. Since Wimbledon, Tsitsipas has maintained a 14-1 record against players ranked outside the Top 30, with his only loss coming against Aleksandar Kovacevic at Winston-Salem, a defeat he avenged in the opening round of this tournament.
The final match for Mikhail Kukushkin
For Mikhail Kukushkin, the straight-sets loss concluded a professional career that began in 2006. The veteran had announced his retirement plans months prior, citing the physical toll of the sport and a desire to step away as his results on the tour fluctuated. Over his two-decade tenure, the Volgograd-born player, who represented Kazakhstan, secured one ATP title at the 2010 St. Petersburg Open and reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 despite undergoing multiple hip surgeries.
Kukushkin’s career included notable victories against four Top 10 opponents, including a 2014 win over then-world No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in Basel. He also became a central figure in Kazakh tennis history, particularly during the 2017 Davis Cup, where he secured decisive victories against Diego Schwartzman and Guido Pella to help relegate Argentina. He exits the professional circuit with 175 career wins and 16 Challenger-level titles.
Tsitsipas faces Duckworth after upset, Mannarino reaches quarterfinals
Tsitsipas will face James Duckworth in the next round. Duckworth earned his spot after upsetting the second-seeded Luciano Darderi, ranked No. 23 in the world, with a 7-5, 7-6(7) victory. This result represented Duckworth’s first win of the season against a Top 30 opponent.
The draw saw further movement as several seeds exited the tournament. Adrian Mannarino continued his successful history in the city, reaching the quarterfinals of this ATP 250 event for the fourth time. Mannarino, who holds 13 career victories at the tournament including his 2023 title, defeated the fourth-seeded Andrey Rublev. The Frenchman is set to play Nikoloz Basilashvili, who advanced past Facundo Díaz Acosta 6-2, 6-4. Elsewhere, the sixth-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry was eliminated by Italian Mattia Bellucci in a three-set match, 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4, setting up a meeting between Bellucci and Terrence Atmane.
Tsitsipas' second Almaty appearance, 2022 Astana final
Tsitsipas is making his second appearance at this tournament, having previously reached the final in 2022 when the event was held in Astana. His current form in Almaty reflects a broader effort to regain the consistency that saw him reach the world’s top tier, a goal he continues to pursue as he prepares for his upcoming quarterfinal match.
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