Kukushkin defeats Karatsev in ATP Challenger singles tennis event in Portugal
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin, ranked 195th, is off to a good start at the 2025 ATP Challenger Porto singles event in Portugal, Kazinform News Agency cites Sports.kz.
Kukushkin won over Aslan Karatsev of Russia, ranked 247th in the world, 7-6, 6-4 in the first-round match that lasted one hour and 46 minutes.
To note, the 31-year-old Karatsev peaked at No.14 in the ATP singles rankings and won a silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Kazakhstan’s Kukushkin is to take on Elias Ymer of Sweden, ranked 232th, in the Round of 16 match.
This year’s ATP Challenger Porto tennis event has a money pool of 145,250 euros, with the singles champion collecting 20,630 euros and 100 ranking points.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstan is set to host the Swimming World Cup Stage for the first time.
