Basilashvili stuns Tsitsipas in Almaty: Medvedev advances to final

Basilashvili produces seismic upset

Nikoloz Basilashvili produced one of the most stunning results of the autumn indoor season on Saturday, 24 October, knocking out seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 to reach the final of the Almaty Open. The Georgian qualifier relied on punishing groundstrokes off both wings, hitting 32 winners across two hours and 18 minutes of pulsating tennis. After letting a 4-2 lead slip in the second-set tiebreak, Basilashvili regrouped to break Tsitsipas twice in the deciding set.

The victory caps a remarkable resurgence for Basilashvili, who won two qualifying rounds before eliminating Adrian Mannarino and now Tsitsipas to secure his first ATP final appearance since 2022. Tsitsipas, who had reached the final four without dropping a set, was undone by 28 unforced errors under relentless pressure from the baseline.

Medvedev reaches final after Bublik retirement

In the day’s second semifinal, top-seeded Daniil Medvedev advanced to the championship match after local favorite Alexander Bublik was forced to retire with a right knee injury. Medvedev claimed the opening set 6-3 with trademark defensive depth and efficient counter-punching. Bublik, who had spent over two-and-a-half hours on court during his grueling quarterfinal win over Karen Khachanov on Friday, called for the trainer at the conclusion of the set and was unable to continue. Sunday’s final pits Medvedev against Basilashvili for the 250-level title in Kazakhstan.