SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER!
 
 
Facebook Social Button Twitter Social Button Follow Us on InstagramYouTube Social Button
NewsScoresRankingsLucky Letcord PodcastShopPro GearPickleballGear Sale


By Alberto Amalfi | Tuesday, October 4, 2022

 
INSERT IMAGE ALT TAGS HERE

Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev dominated Albert Ramos-Vinolas and third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas scored his 50th win of the season in Astana.

Photo credit: Abierto Los Cabos Facebook

The Astana Open was rocked by world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz's opening-round upset.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas restored order rolling through their Astana Open openers.

Watch: Moutet and Andreev Nearly Come to Blows

Former world No. 1 Medvevev streaked through the final five games dismissing Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-1 to score his first indoor hard-court win of the season.




The second-seeded Russian permitted just six points on his first serve and saved the lone break point he faced in an 80-minute triumph. Medvevev improved to 38-14 on the season after lucky loser David Goffin toppled world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the man who succeeded Medvedev at the top of tennis.

In the fourth game, Medvedev dodged a break point and quieted the threat cracking a couple of aces for 3-1.

Imposing his first serve, Medvedev closed a love hold for 5-3.

Confronting double-set point in the ninth game, Ramos-Vinolas saved the first with an aggressive forehand strike. On the second set point, the Spanish left-hander sliced a second serve out wide using a rare serve-and-volley to erase set point.

One of the longest exchanges of the match followed with Medvedev moving his opponent corner-to-corner finishing with a tapped drop volley for a third set point.

Clubbing a return right back at the Spaniard, Medvedev drew a netted forehand to snatch the first set with his second break.

Tennis Express

World No. 4 Medvedev won 17 of 20 first-serve points in the 47-minute opener.

The second set was all Medvedev as he cruised into a second-round match against either Sofia champion Marc-Andrea Huesler or Emil Ruusuvuori.

Earlier, 2021 Roland Garros finalist Tsitsipas did not face a break point sweeping wild card and Astana resident Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 6-4. 




Tsitsipas whipped 19 winners against 13 errors conquering Kukushkin for the fifth time in as many meetings.

It was Tsitsipas' 50th win of the season as he improved to 50-18 in 2022 setting up a second-round meeting vs. Italian qualifier Luca Nardi.

The third-seeded Tsitsipas is playing for his first ATP 500 career title and first hard-court title of the season. If he wins Astana, Tsitsipas will join Novak Djokovic as the second man to win titles on all three surfaces this year.

Kazakhstani No. 1 Alexander Bublik banged 15 aces beating Tallon Griekspoor 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Bublik raised his indoor hard-court record to 13-4 on the season. Bublik will play seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz next.

 

Latest News