Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili beats Marin Cilic at Almaty Open
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The gist
Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili beat Marin Cilic 6-2 7-5 in the Almaty Open first round.
The 34-year-old, ranked 124th, next faces Facundo Diaz Acosta.
Background
Nikoloz Basilashvili is a 34-year-old Georgian tennis player, currently ranked around 124th with a career-high singles ranking of 16, who turned pro in 2008. Marin Cilic, his opponent, is a Croatian former world number three now ranked 80th. Basilashvili has found form recently, including a run from qualifying to the Chengdu Open semi-finals at the end of last month, and his ranking has climbed from 329 to 124 over the past 24 months. He arrived in Almaty having won 8 of his previous matches to Cilic's 3 of 10.
How it unfolded
- Sep 23, 2026Basilashvili beat Federico Cina 6-3 6-2 at the Chengdu Open.
- Sep 28, 2026He beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6 6-4 6-3 at the Chengdu Open, completing a run from qualifying to the semi-finals.
- Oct 6, 2026He won through Shanghai Masters qualifying, beating Liam Draxl 5-7 7-6 6-4 in the qualifying final.
- Oct 7, 2026He lost to Adrian Mannarino 3-6 2-6 in the Shanghai Masters first round.
- Oct 18, 2026He beat Adam Walton 6-4 7-6 in the Almaty Open qualifying final.
- Oct 19, 2026He beat Marin Cilic 6-2 7-5 in the Almaty Open first round, breaking five times in 1 hour 21 minutes.
- Oct 21, 2026He is scheduled to face Facundo Diaz Acosta in the Almaty Open Round of 16 on Court 1 from 07:30.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- The Stats Zone preview says Basilashvili could overwhelm Diaz Acosta with his powerful baseline game in these conditions, tipping under 22.5 games.
- Official
- Tennis TV noted Basilashvili is the first Georgian winner in the tournament's history, winning six of the last seven games against Cilic.