Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a stern opening test at the Almaty Open, defeating American Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets to advance to the second round of the ATP 250 tournament in Kazakhstan.
The Greek seventh seed secured a 7-6(9), 3-6, 6-3 victory at Almaty Arena on Tuesday, October 20, after two hours and one minute on court.
Ranked world No. 39, Tsitsipas faced a difficult challenge against Kovacevic, who entered the match ranked No. 82 and delivered a powerful serving performance.
The 28-year-old Greek fired seven aces, committed two double faults and won 83 per cent of points behind his first serve. Kovacevic recorded 13 aces and three double faults but could not maintain his challenge in the deciding set.
Tsitsipas Credits Persistence for Victory
Tsitsipas acknowledged the difficulty of facing an opponent who served so effectively throughout the contest.
“My persistence,” Tsitsipas said when asked what made the difference in his victory.
“I was trying to stay in the match and just be patient. He was serving exceptionally well today, it was really frustrating being on the other side of the court having to return. It wasn’t an easy match.”
The Greek also praised Kovacevic’s recent development, describing him as a consistent player whose game had improved significantly in recent months.
“Very unlikely to be playing each other first round, but I really wish him the best. He’s a great player and I’m a big fan of his game,” Tsitsipas said.
Home Favourite Awaits in Second Round
Tsitsipas will next face Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin, who advanced after defeating Greek player Stefanos Sakellaridis 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in another closely contested first-round encounter.
The 38-year-old Kukushkin will have home support behind him as he attempts to stop the former world No. 3 from progressing further in Almaty.
Tsitsipas is making his second appearance at the tournament, having reached the final in 2022 when the event was held in Astana.
The Greek star has won 13 ATP Tour singles titles during his career, including three ATP Masters 1000 crowns at Monte Carlo, and has reached two Grand Slam finals.
His victory over Kovacevic gives him an opportunity to build momentum as he pursues another deep run on the ATP Tour.
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