Kukushkin bids farewell in Almaty after loss to Tsitsipas
Mikhail Kukushkin’s career ended in Almaty after Stefanos Tsitsipas won 6-1, 6-2. The 38-year-old Kazakh saved three match points and said finishing at home felt like a dream fulfilled. Tsitsipas advanced to face James Duckworth in the quarterfinals.
Kukushkin, a 38-year-old wildcard ranked No. 389, had kept his farewell going with a straight-sets tiebreak win over qualifier Stefanos Sakellaridis a day earlier. Against seventh-seeded Tsitsipas at the Almaty ATP 250, he saved three match points while trailing 5-1 in the second set before losing 6-1, 6-2.
The Kazakh turned professional in 2006, claimed his lone ATP title in St. Petersburg in 2010, peaked at No. 39 in 2019 and set a record with his sixth Almaty Open appearance. Tsitsipas, who has now won all five meetings, next meets James Duckworth.
Kukushkin’s home farewell may resonate most with Almaty spectators and Kazakhstan’s tennis community, offering a visible example of a long career ending before supportive fans. It could strengthen local interest in the tournament and inspire younger players who saw a compatriot compete at home. For the wider event, Tsitsipas’s progress may draw more attention to the quarterfinal, though the day’s emotional focus likely remains on Kukushkin’s retirement.