Basilashvili Eliminates the Heavy Favorite with Brilliant Serving
The first semi-final match on Center Court brought outstanding tennis in which Nikoloz Basilashvili outplayed the favored Stefanos Tsitsipas and won 2-1 in sets (6:4, 5:7, 6:3). Over 2 hours and 17 minutes of play, the Georgian tennis player served excellently and dictated the pace with offensive shots, hitting 35 winners compared to Tsitsipas’s 19.
Basilashvili showed incredible mental strength in crucial moments, managing to save all three break points he faced on his serve (3/3). On the other hand, Tsitsipas was under constant pressure and allowed his opponent to break his serve twice out of eight opportunities. Despite Tsitsipas hitting 11 aces compared to Basilashvili’s 7, the Georgian was far more effective in open play and deservedly took the victory, winning a total of 103 points, while the Greek player finished the match with 89.
Injury and Exhibition Before Bublik’s Retirement
In the second semi-final clash, Daniil Medvedev advanced to the final after the local crowd favorite, Alexander Bublik, retired from the match immediately after the first set ended at 6:3 for the Russian.
From the very beginning of the match, it was painfully obvious that Bublik had major movement issues due to leg pain. As soon as the rallies got longer, the Kazakh lost points. He requested a medical time-out early in the match, but the doctor only came out onto the court and quickly returned without any specific intervention. Aware that he physically could not match Medvedev and had no chance of winning, Bublik decided to use the remaining time to put on a show for the crowd in the stands, executing trick shots and underarm serves.
Medvedev did not allow this to break his concentration. He played tactically flawlessly, firing 9 aces in the first set and winning an unreal 100% of points on his first serve (15 out of 15). The Russian converted one of his two break points and smoothly brought the set to a close with a total of 27 points won against Bublik’s 17. As soon as the first set concluded, Bublik officially retired due to injury, sending Medvedev into the battle for the trophy.
Grand Final: Medvedev vs. Qualifier Basilashvili
The grand final of the ATP Almaty tournament is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026, on Center Court. Top seed Daniil Medvedev will face qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili in the battle for the title. The start of this decisive match is scheduled for not before 10:00 UTC (11:00 AM CET).
Follow all the latest results, exclusive interviews, and our original on-court photo galleries on our central ATP Almaty Open Hub page.
