Mikhail Kukushkin came back from a set and a break down at 6-7 (4-7) 1-4 to beat Benoit Paire 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 after 2 hours and 14 minutes securing a spot in the quarter finals at the Astana Open in Nur Sultan.
Paire started the match with an immediate break to open up a 4-0 lead. Kukushkin broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. The Frenchman opened up a 5-1 lead with two mini-breaks. Kukushkin pulled one break back on the seventh point for 2-5, but Paire sealed the tie-break 7-4 on his first set point.
Paire broke serve in the second game to open up a 4-1 lead. Kukushkin broke back in the seventh game to draw level to 4-4. Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Kukushkin got four mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2. Kukushkin broke twice in the second and sixth games to win the third set 6-1.
Adrian Mannarino cruised past Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita 6-1 6-1 with five breaks.
Mannarino will face Mackenzie McDonald, who came from one set down to beat Andreas Seppi 3-6 6-3 6-3 in just over two hours.
Seppi earned an early break in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. The Italian player held his next service games to win the first set 6-3. McDonald broke twice in the second and sixth games to race out to a 5-1 lead in the second set. Seppi got one break back in the seventh game and saved two break-back points to hold his serve. McDonald served out the second set 6-3 on his first opportunity in the ninth game.
Seppi rallied from a break down twice in the third set, but McDonald won 12 consecutive points from 3-3 breaking serve in a row to clinch the third set 6-3.
Finnish qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori edged past Jordan Thompson 6-2 3-6 6-4 after 2 hours and 3 minutes. Ruusuvuori broke twice in the first and fifth games to win the first set 6-2. Thompson drew level by winning the second set 6-3 with a break in the eighth game. Thompson went up a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Ruusuvuori broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Ruusuvuori converted his second break point at deuce to win the third set after coming back from 30-40 down in the 10th game.
