Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Mikhail Kukushkin at Almaty Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas Ends Mikhail Kukushkin’s Career at Almaty Open

Seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Kazakhstan wild card Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 in 62 minutes on Wednesday at the Almaty Open, bringing a close to the 38-year-old veteran’s professional career, ATP Tour reported. Tsitsipas fired eight aces and converted four break points during the second-round encounter at the Almaty Arena in Kazakhstan, according to Field Level Media via WTVB.

Following the final point, Tsitsipas walked over to an emotional Kukushkin before his on-court interview and asked him to sign a shirt as a souvenir. “It is a very eerie, odd feeling to be playing someone who is going to be playing the last match of his career,” Tsitsipas said, as reported by Neos Kosmos. “It is not a situation you want to find yourself too often in. It hits you a little bit hard. You feel for your opponent more than you usually are in any type of scenario or match.”

How Mikhail Kukushkin Reached His Final Tour Match

Kukushkin earned his spot in the second round by opening his Almaty campaign on Monday with a hard-fought 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory against Stefanos Sakellaridis. After that opening win, the home favorite celebrated with his family in the stands, telling reporters that ending his career at home in Kazakhstan was a dream come true.

Turning professional in 2006, Kukushkin spent nearly two decades competing on the ATP Tour, reaching a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 39 in 2019. His career highlights include claiming his lone tour-level singles title in St. Petersburg in 2010 and recording four victories against Top-10 opponents, including a win over then-World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in Basel in 2014. He also represented Kazakhstan in the Davis Cup each year from 2008 to 2022.

Quarterfinal Matchups Awaiting Stefanos Tsitsipas in Kazakhstan

With the second-round victory secured, Tsitsipas advances to the quarterfinals of the hard-court ATP 250 event. He will face Australian James Duckworth, who advanced by upsetting No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy 7-5, 7-6(7). Duckworth fired 17 aces and won 88 percent of his first-serve points in his second-round match, according to Field Level Media.

More on this story: Adrian Mannarino Defeats Aleksandar Vukic in Almaty