Tsitsipas edges Kovacevic in Almaty, Khachanov cruises
Stefanos Tsitsipas saved three set points in an 11-9 tiebreak. Karen Khachanov advanced in straight sets.
Drama on the Almaty indoor courts
Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a fierce challenge from Aleksandar Kovacevic on Wednesday, 21 October, winning 7-6(9), 3-6, 6-3 in the first round of the Almaty Open. The Greek star saved three set points in a grueling 20-point first-set tiebreak before battling through two hours of indoor hard-court tennis. The victory avenged his earlier three-set loss to Kovacevic at Winston-Salem and sealed a spot in the round of 16.
Fifth seed Karen Khachanov produced a commanding performance on center court, defeating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and five minutes. Khachanov never faced a break point and dropped just eight points on serve all match. Australian veteran James Duckworth supplied the day’s biggest upset, defeating second seed Luciano Darderi 7-5, 7-6(7).
Tuesday and Shanghai remain locked
Results from Tuesday in Lyon remain official: Corentin Moutet outlasted seventh seed Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(4) in 3 hours 21 minutes, while Borna Gojo and Pierre-Hugues Herbert also advanced. In Shanghai, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 final victory over Rafael Jodar stands as the definitive Masters 1000 result, with Alexander Zverev confirmed as the year-end world No. 1.
Sources
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