That’s a long way for a player who was once among the most dangerous hitters on tour. Basilashvili reached a career-high No. 16 in 2019 and a final at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in 2021. His five titles include victories over Juan Martin del Potro, Alexander Zverev and Roger Federer. His ranking has fallen since then, and he has qualified for eight tour-level events this season, more than any other player. Ranked 128th, he also had to qualify in Almaty.
Unbreakable against Tsitsipas
Basilashvili broke Tsitsipas’ second service game at the first opportunity to take a 2-1 lead and close out the set on his first set point. In the second, Tsitsipas saved a break point in the opening game and two more at 3-3. Serving 4-5, Basilashvili fell to 0-40 and saved three set points. He led 4-2 in the tiebreak but lost serve twice as Tsitsipas took it 7-5.
“I was really tense in the second set. I had a lot of chances, a lot of break points. When you don’t use them, you go down, you lose a little confidence,” said Basilashvili on the court. “I managed to stay very focused on my serve and in the end I’m very happy that I executed my serve at a very high level. Then when I had opportunities on his serve, I took them.”
The Georgian did not let it get to him. Tsitsipas saved three break points to hold it at 1-1 in the decider, but Basilashvili broke 4-3 to serve out the match at love. He scored nine of the last ten points.
He finished with 35 winners to Tsitsipas’ 19, won 92 percent of his first-serve points and held all 16 of his service games, saving the only three break points he faced.
Back to top 100
This final sees Basilashvili return to the top 100 for the first time since November last year. It follows the semifinals in Chengdu and the qualifiers in Shanghai this fall.
“The last two years I was close to 100, then at the end of last year I got injured again,” he said. “I’m very happy to be back in the top 100 and I want to keep playing and enjoying it.”
It is his 10th ATP final, first since Doha 2022 and second indoors since Memphis in 2017. He is only the second qualifier to reach the final in the event’s history, following Emile Rusuvuori in 2020. He beat Marin Cilic 7-2, 6-6, 6-6 over Marin Dichuko en route to the semifinals. 6-4 and Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-1, and he is the first Georgian to win the tournament.
He now trails Tsitsipas 2-3 in their head-to-head. his other victory was in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Indian Wells, 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, en route to his only Masters 1000 final.
Tsitsipas closes the Melbourne seeding
Ranked 39th, Tsitsipas still leaves Almaty with what he came for. A 100 in the semifinals would move him up to No. 33 on Monday, within striking distance of the Australian Open, his stated goal for the end of the season. He beat Alexander Kovacevich 7-6 (9), 3-6, 6-3, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 and Australia’s James Duckworth 6-3, 6-4.
Almaty ATP 250, latest RESULTS
• Quarter finals
D. Medvedev (1) d. T. Atmane: 6-4, 6-4
A Bublik (3) d. K. Khachanov (5): 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5)
d. of N. Basilashvili A. Mannarino: 6-3, 6-1
S. Tsitsipas (7) d. J. Duckworth: 6-3, 6-4
• Semi-final
D. Medvedev (1) vs A. Bagel (3)
N. Basilashvili vs S. Tsitsipas (7): 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
