Kazakh tennis player Damir Zhalgasbay, partnering with American Safir Azam, advanced to the quarterfinals of the junior doubles tournament at the 2026 US Open, as reported by infohub.kz.
In the second-round match, the Kazakh-American duo staged a comeback to defeat the Japanese pair of Hugh Kawanishi and Kanta Watanabe 6:7 (6:8), 7:6 (7:4), 10:4. The match lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes.
At the start of the competition, Zhalgasbay and Azam confidently dispatched the Thai-Indian duo of Kunanan Pantaratorn and Arnav Paparkar 6:4, 6:2. However, the second round proved to be a much tougher battle.
In the first set, both teams held serve comfortably, leading to a tiebreak. At 5-2 in the 13th game, the Japanese had the advantage, but Damir and Safir managed to level the score at 6-6. Unfortunately, two consecutive errors followed, and the set was lost 6-8.
In the second set, the Kazakh and American led 5-4 and had a set point, but Azam made a costly mistake, and the score became 5-5. The set again went to a tiebreak, where luck favored Zhalgasbay and his partner, winning 7-4.
In the decisive super tiebreak, the Kazakh-American tandem showcased their best qualities and proved their superiority, winning 10-4. Zhalgasbay and Azam's quarterfinal opponents will be determined later.
In singles, Zhalgasbay ended his run after the first match, losing to American Jack Secord.
Elena Rybakina continues her campaign at the 2026 US Open. The country's top-ranked player, who will ascend to the world No. 1 ranking on Monday, defeated China's Zhang Qinwen 3:6, 6:1, 6:4 today. In the semifinals, the Kazakh tennis star will face American Coco Gauff, who overcame Russian Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals 2:6, 7:6 (9:7), 6:2.
The US Open is an annual Grand Slam tennis tournament played on hard courts, the last of the four majors in the calendar year. The total prize money is a record $108 million for a major.