Qualifying preview ATP 500 Astana Open
Greg Garber
The main draw for the upcoming Astana Open is loaded – six of the ATP’s Top 10 players and 10 of the Top 20 are entered – and the qualifying draw is similarly distinguished.
Ordinarily, six-time ATP Tour singles champion David Goffin is a main-draw fixture in a 500 event, but on Saturday he will face Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan in the first round of qualifying on Center Court at the National Tennis Center. It’s one of eight matches that will deliver eight victors into Sunday’s second round, where the four main-draw qualifiers will be determined.
Goffin is currently No. 65 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and has enjoyed some outstanding results in 2022. Goffin collected the title in Marrakech, Morocco back in April, winning all five of his matches. He advanced to the fourth round in Madrid, only to lose to Rafael Nadal – 11-9, in a third-set tie-breaker. The crisp-striking 31-year-old Belgian was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and only a loss to Frances Tiafoe prevented him from reaching the same level at the recent US Open.
Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia, ranked a career-high No.69, is the second qualifying seed. Coming off a quarter-final berth in San Diego, he faces Kazakhstanian wild-card Aleksandr Nedovyesov. Galan had a terrific run in California, defeating Marc-Andrea Huesler and Pedro Martinez before falling to Brandon Nakashima. Like seven of the eight first-round qualifying matches, Galan-Nedovyesov is first-time meeting.
The only exception? No. 3 seed Laslo Djere of Serbia, who faces Uzbekistan veteran Denis Istomin. Djere, ranked No. 72, beat Istomin twice in 2018, in Gstaad and Istanbul. All four of the four sets went to Djere and they all required seven games to win, three of them in tie-breakers. Istomin, 36 years old, is ranked No. 424.
While Alexander Bublik, at No. 41, is the ranking player from Kazakhstan in the main draw, he could be joined by a fellow countryman or two. In fact, four of the 16 players attempting to qualify are from Kazakhstan. Eighteen-year-old wild-card Arslanbek Aitkulov meets No. 4–seeded Pavel Kotov, who is ranked No. 103. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Grigoriy Lomakin faces off against No. 8 seed Altug Celikbilek.
In other matches, it’s No. 5 seed Zhang Zhizhen of China opposite Turkey’s Cem Ilkel and No. 7 seed Luca Nardi against Serbian wild-card Hamad Medjedovic. Alexander Shevchenko will play an alternate to be determined later.
The four ultimate survivors will be joining a stellar field that begins play Monday, which includes recent 21-time major champion Novak Djokovic, three-time Grand Slam champions Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Ordinarily, six-time ATP Tour singles champion David Goffin is a main-draw fixture in a 500 event, but on Saturday he will face Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan in the first round of qualifying on Center Court at the National Tennis Center. It’s one of eight matches that will deliver eight victors into Sunday’s second round, where the four main-draw qualifiers will be determined.
Goffin is currently No. 65 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and has enjoyed some outstanding results in 2022. Goffin collected the title in Marrakech, Morocco back in April, winning all five of his matches. He advanced to the fourth round in Madrid, only to lose to Rafael Nadal – 11-9, in a third-set tie-breaker. The crisp-striking 31-year-old Belgian was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and only a loss to Frances Tiafoe prevented him from reaching the same level at the recent US Open.
Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia, ranked a career-high No.69, is the second qualifying seed. Coming off a quarter-final berth in San Diego, he faces Kazakhstanian wild-card Aleksandr Nedovyesov. Galan had a terrific run in California, defeating Marc-Andrea Huesler and Pedro Martinez before falling to Brandon Nakashima. Like seven of the eight first-round qualifying matches, Galan-Nedovyesov is first-time meeting.
The only exception? No. 3 seed Laslo Djere of Serbia, who faces Uzbekistan veteran Denis Istomin. Djere, ranked No. 72, beat Istomin twice in 2018, in Gstaad and Istanbul. All four of the four sets went to Djere and they all required seven games to win, three of them in tie-breakers. Istomin, 36 years old, is ranked No. 424.
While Alexander Bublik, at No. 41, is the ranking player from Kazakhstan in the main draw, he could be joined by a fellow countryman or two. In fact, four of the 16 players attempting to qualify are from Kazakhstan. Eighteen-year-old wild-card Arslanbek Aitkulov meets No. 4–seeded Pavel Kotov, who is ranked No. 103. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Grigoriy Lomakin faces off against No. 8 seed Altug Celikbilek.
In other matches, it’s No. 5 seed Zhang Zhizhen of China opposite Turkey’s Cem Ilkel and No. 7 seed Luca Nardi against Serbian wild-card Hamad Medjedovic. Alexander Shevchenko will play an alternate to be determined later.
The four ultimate survivors will be joining a stellar field that begins play Monday, which includes recent 21-time major champion Novak Djokovic, three-time Grand Slam champions Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
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