Frances Tiafoe Advances to Almaty Open Quarterfinals

Frances Tiafoe, the top seed at the 2024 Almaty Open, showcased resilience by fighting back from a set down to overcome qualifier Daniel Evans in a nail-biting encounter. Tiafoe triumphed with scores of 6-7(10), 7-6(4), 6-3, thereby securing his place in the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 tournament. This marks his 42nd appearance at this stage in tour-level events.

Post-match, Tiafoe credited his serve as being pivotal to his victory, stating, “I just kept going, my serve was a big part of it, I served a lot of aces today.” He elaborated further by mentioning a strategic shift during the match, “I started coming into the net and taking more risks, instead of being patient in the rallies.”

The match was a battle of nerves, especially in the opening set tie-break, where Evans saved two set points before claiming the set with a backhand pass. Although Tiafoe was down, he managed to level the match in the second set and ultimately seized control in the third.

In the upcoming quarter-final, Tiafoe will face Aleksandar Vukic, who managed to defeat the eighth seed despite challenging opposition. Vukic’s performance was highlighted by his decisive serving under pressure, particularly in the second set.

Separately, Karen Khachanov, previously ranked No. 8 in the ATP rankings, advanced with a straight-sets win over Otto Virtanen, showcasing a dominant service game. Khachanov will face Kazakh wild card Beibit Zhukayev in the next round.

This phase of the tournament is poised for intense competition as the players continue to vie for the title at the Almaty Open.