ALMATY/STARNBERG, October 23, 2026

The quarterfinals of the Almaty Open delivered a mixture of commanding performances and high-quality drama on Friday, with home favourite Alexander Bublik producing a remarkable comeback against Karen Khachanov, while Nikoloz Basilashvili and Stefanos Tsitsipas booked their places in the last four with straight-set victories.

Bublik Wins Tiebreak Battle Against Khachanov

In the standout encounter of the day, third seed Alexander Bublik delighted the home crowd by overcoming fifth seed Karen Khachanov in a thrilling three-set battle. The Kazakh demonstrated remarkable composure under pressure, recovering from a set down before prevailing in two consecutive tiebreaks.

Khachanov made the stronger start, securing the only break of serve in the opening set to take it 6-4. Refusing to back down in front of his home supporters, Bublik raised his level in the second set and held serve consistently to force a tiebreak. He capitalised on the decisive points to take it 7-6(5) and level the match.

The deciding set featured an outstanding serving display from both players. Bublik fired 21 aces, while Khachanov contributed eight, bringing their combined total to 29. Neither player managed to establish a decisive advantage, sending the contest into another high-pressure tiebreak. Bublik eventually prevailed 7-6(5) to complete his comeback and secure a place in the semi-finals.

3 sets, 2 tiebreaks, but only 1 winner 🥵

Alexander Bublik prevails in a nail-biting 4-6 7-6 7-6 clash vs Khachanov to reach the last four!

#AlmatyOpen https://t.co/u2PvGof5tX

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 23, 2026

Reflecting on his performance and his execution during the crucial moments, Bublik said:

“I did very good couple of points at the end of the second set, at the end of the third set as well. So, I’m really happy with the outcome and it could have gone both ways because it’s such a close match with both great serves.”

The Kazakh also highlighted the impressive development of tennis in the country after representing Kazakhstan for a decade.

“The development of the tennis in the country is in the numbers. It’s an incredible achievement what they did and it’s only going to expand, it’s only going to get bigger, it’s only going to get better with time.”

Basilashvili Dominates Mannarino

Nikoloz Basilashvili produced a dominant performance to defeat Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-1 and advance to the last four. The Georgian maintained firm control throughout the encounter, making full use of his powerful groundstrokes and impressive serving performance.

Basilashvili fired 11 aces, won 79 per cent of his first-serve points and converted four break points. Mannarino, meanwhile, struggled to find opportunities on the return and failed to earn a single break point throughout the match. The one-sided contest allowed Basilashvili to secure a comfortable victory in straight sets.

Tsitsipas Continues Strong Run

Stefanos Tsitsipas also progressed to the semi-finals with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Australia’s James Duckworth. The seventh seed delivered an outstanding serving performance, recording 15 aces without committing a double fault. He won an impressive 92 per cent of his first-serve points and did not face a break point across the two sets.

Duckworth competed well in several baseline exchanges but was unable to put the Greek under sustained pressure on serve. Tsitsipas secured one decisive break in each set to seal his place in the last four.

Following his victory, the Greek spoke about the importance of returning to the fundamentals of his game, maintaining consistency and developing a long-term perspective.

“For me, it is important to stick to the fundamentals that are consistency, is finding the depth, the angles, all these important things that makes tennis such a unique sport. And the more consistency I bring into my shot making and my positioning on the court, the higher the chances of me getting back to where I actually belong.

“It feels good to be back playing that type of tennis. It feels good to have things clear in my mind and not have any doubts. In my mind right now, I’m completely focused on long-term vision. Like, of course I’m enjoying this week right now, but I’m constantly seeking and searching for what can make me better, what can help me a little bit more.”

Tsitsipas also highlighted how achieving greater emotional stability and balance in his personal life over the past 12 months has positively influenced his professional performance.

“I have a lot of peace in my life, and peace also brings balance into my daily life. And it’s exactly how I always wanted to have my life outside of the tennis court, which allows me to also be completely focused and wired in in my profession and my job.

“When you have a chaotic life and not aligned with how you personally wanted, you always keep asking questions to yourself. Now that I’m in the spectrum that I really want to be at, I always have deep appreciation for it because it’s exactly where I wanted to be. Even to the slightest, it will have an effect, it will transmit into your profession, whether you like it or not.”

With Bublik carrying the hopes of the home crowd, the Almaty Open semi-finals promise another exciting day of indoor hard-court tennis.