Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted he felt conflicted as he crushed home wild card Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday to send the veteran Kazakh into retirement at the ATP Almaty Open.

The Greek winner needed just 61 minutes to overpower the veteran who until this week had last played an ATP-level match in January, 2025.

Tsitsipas needed four match points to advance to the quarter-finals where Australian James Duckworth awaits on Friday.

The post-match scene on court was emotional, with Tsitsipas requesting and receiving a shirt signed by his beaten rival.

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“It’s a very eerie feeling to play someone in their last career match,” Tsitsipas said. “I don’t want to be in that situation too often.

“It hits you hard and you feel more sympathy for the opponent than in the usual match.

“It’s difficult taking victory know it is the last few points of the other guy’s career. But today it’s all about him, it’s his moment.”

The winner said he has been keeping an eye on his next opponent. “He can play a big game on this surface. I hope to be fit and healthy and bring my “A” game.”

Tsitsipas advanced with 20 winners and 14 unforced errors.

Stan Wawrinka delivered a 16th aces on his fifth match point to keep his ATP farewell tour alive in Lyon on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5) win over Martin Landaluce which took him into the second round,

The Swiss with three Grand Slam titles is retiring after his run ends at the home Swiss Indoors in Basel.

But the 41-year-old – who gave away more than two decades to his 20-year-old Spanish opponent – would not be denied in his first career appearance in the eastern French city.

The ATP No. 140 was unable to close out victory in an eight-minute game leading into the final set tiebreaker.

Landaluce saved three match points – the last with an audacious drop shot – to take the battle of the generations into a decider.

Wawrinka trailed 0-3 but ran off four straight points to charge back into contention. Landaluce saved a fifth match point with a serve but could not handle the Wawrinka ace which ended the battle after nearly three hours

“He’s young, I’m old, so I’m happy to get through,” the winner said. “It was a tough battle and my first time in Lyon.

“That makes the victory even more pleasing,” he said after ending a seven-match loss streak this season at the ATP level.

The player whose last victory came in May in Geneva added: “I had match points but I almost lost this one. I’ve lost a lot of tough matches this year.

“But I served well and was really focused, I”m happy with the win. I want to do well in my last two tournaments.

“I’m happy with what I’m putting on the court and that’s the most important thing.”

Despite his abrupt retirement announcement, Gael Monfils might still have the chance to farewell fans if plans come together at the upcoming Paris Masters.

The November event at the La Defense arena was to have been the final goodbye for the widely popular 40-year-old Frenchman.

But Monfils announced his retirement on Oct. 5, a call which is now believed to have come after wife Elina Svitolina announced she was divorcing him.The WTA No. 6 laid the blame on stress from the war on her native Ukraine and said she had to work through the pressure on her own.

Monfils is out of the player antidoping pool and cannot reverse his retirement decision.

But Paris Masters TD Cedric Pioline is still hoping to lay on a goodbye ceremony for Monfils at the final Masters of the season.

They are awaiting a decision from the distraught player himself.

Organisers have not yet heard from the Frenchman, but are happy to act if and when they do.

“For now, we don’t have any more news than that and we respect his difficult time in his life,” Pioline told AFP. 

“We still have a little bit of time, even though the tournament will start soon. We have accepted that he has retired. We will adapt as soon as there is contact.”

Monfils, winner of a dozen career titles, is also scheduled to participate in a retirement exhibition for Swiss Stan Wawrinka in Geneva on December 19.

Also participating in “One Last Backhand” event for the three-time Grand Slam champion are Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Main photo:- Gael Monfils reacts to winning a match at Roland Garros – by Roger Parker / ISF Ltd