Almaty Thursday: Tsitsipas beats Kukushkin, Mannarino stuns Rublev
Tsitsipas d. Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 in Kukushkin's farewell match. Mannarino d. Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Duckworth reaches QF.
| Player | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6 | 6 |
| Mikhail Kukushkin | 1 | 2 |
FINAL: Tsitsipas d. Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2. Mannarino d. Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Duckworth d. Darderi 7-5, 7-6(9).
The round of 16 at the Almaty Open delivered major milestones and upsets on Thursday, 22 October. Stefanos Tsitsipas ended the singles career of 38-year-old Kazakh stalwart Mikhail Kukushkin with a 6-1, 6-2 victory on center court, concluding Kukushkin's nearly two-decade professional journey in front of an emotional home crowd. In another standout result, veteran Adrian Mannarino upset fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 with surgical counter-punching. Australian James Duckworth also advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating second seed Luciano Darderi 7-5, 7-6(9), while Mattia Bellucci ousted sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(7), 2-6, 6-4.
The stakes
Quarterfinal matchups are locked in Almaty. Tsitsipas and Mannarino progress into the final eight as high seeds fall.
The rivalry angle
Tsitsipas handles the emotional atmosphere of a home favorite's farewell to secure his quarterfinal spot.
Players who could decide it
Clinical 6-1, 6-2 win to book a spot in the Almaty quarterfinals.
Stunned fourth seed Andrey Rublev in three sets on indoor hard.
Received an emotional ovation after playing his final professional match.
Did you know?
- !Tsitsipas defeated Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 in Kukushkin's final career singles match.
- !Mannarino upset fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
- !James Duckworth reached the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 7-6(9) win over No. 2 seed Darderi.
Head to head
Thursday 22 October 2026. Almaty Open Round of 16. Final.
Sources
Every score and ranking on this page is locked to a named source. If it is not here, it is not on the page.
