Adrian Mannarino Defeats Aleksandar Vukic for Record-Extending Win in Almaty
French tennis veteran Adrian Mannarino defeated Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 on Monday at the Almaty Open, securing his 12th career victory at the indoor tournament to set up a second-round clash against fourth seed Andrey Rublev, atptour.com reported. The No. 78 player in the PIF ATP Rankings navigated a tight baseline contest on the indoor hard courts in Kazakhstan, holding firm through three sets to advance at the ATP 250 event.
Mannarino built his success in the tournament primarily during its previous years in Astana, where the event was hosted from 2020 through 2023. He reached the final in 2020 before falling to John Millman, and later claimed the championship trophy in 2023 by defeating Sebastian Korda. Monday’s win marks his first victory at the venue since the tournament relocated to Almaty.
MANNARINO EN 8ÈMES ! 🇫🇷 Le français 🇫🇷 Adrian Mannarino élimine son adversaire australien 🇦🇺 Aleksandar Vukic en 3 sets (7-6 4-6 6-3).Il affrontera le russe 🇷🇺 Andrey Rublev en 8èmes de finale de l’ATP 250 d’Almaty ! 🇰🇿 pic.twitter.com/iQyo2imKB1
I felt like I was playing a pretty good level,
Mannarino said after the match. Especially after the first set I was really consistent on my serve. I made a lot of first serves, and then I had four break points in four different games in the second set and I was able to make them. But I still felt like I was playing well and I ended up losing the second set.
After dropping the second set, the Frenchman adjusted his tactics to outlast his opponent in the decider. I was just thinking about staying focused,
Mannarino said. I knew I would have some chances in the third set and this is what happened… It’s a good victory.
First-Round Results and Upcoming Matches in Kazakhstan
Other matches on Monday featured straight-sets and three-set battles across the Almaty draw. James Duckworth defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 6-3, advancing to the second round where he will face second seed Luciano Darderi. Facundo Diaz Acosta overcame fellow Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-4. Diaz Acosta advances to play Nikoloz Basilashvili for a place in the quarter-finals, after the Georgian qualifier defeated former World No. 3 Marin Cilic 6-2, 7-5.
Tournament Match Schedule and Player Matchups
| Winner | Defeated | Score | Next Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Mannarino | Aleksandar Vukic | 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 | Andrey Rublev |
| James Duckworth | Miomir Kecmanovic | 6-4, 6-3 | Luciano Darderi |
| Facundo Diaz Acosta | Thiago Agustin Tirante | 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-4 | Nikoloz Basilashvili |
| Nikoloz Basilashvili | Marin Cilic | 6-2, 7-5 | Facundo Diaz Acosta |
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