Andrey Rublev is caught off guard by Adrian Mannarino

Kazakhstan continues to bring Adrian Mannarino good luck. The 38-year-old French tennis player advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 in Almaty by defeating Russia’s Andrey Rublev, ranked No. 22 in the world, with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

After defeating Australian Aleksandar Vukic in his opening match, Mannarino secured an important victory against the tournament’s fourth seed, confirming his excellent rapport with the Kazakh indoor hard courts. In 2023, he had won the title in Astana, where he had reached the final three years earlier. Since 2024, the tournament has been held in Almaty.

The Frenchman started off strong, immediately breaking Rublev’s serve and holding onto the lead until the end of the first set. Crucial to his success was his ability to save five break points, preventing the Russian from getting back into the set.

In the second set, Rublev managed to fight back, leveling the match. The match was ultimately decided in the third set, when Mannarino secured another break late in the set, closing out the match in his favor.

In the quarterfinals, Mannarino will face Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, 34, ranked No. 128 in the world, who advanced from the qualifiers. The two met just two weeks ago in the second round of the Shanghai Masters 1000: on that occasion, Basilashvili retired due to a left knee injury while trailing 6-3, 2-2.