Aslan Karatsev Funny Moments! 🦁😂

There’s something about being a qualifier that brings out the best in Aslan Karatsev on big stages.

On Thursday, the 29-year-old defeated Zhang Zhizhen, 7-6 (3), 6-4, to become just the second ATP qualifier in Mutua Madrid Open history to reach the semifinals. After falling behind early in the tie-break, Karatsev surged by winning seven consecutive points—then converted the lone break of the clash to open the second set, an advantage he held onto the rest of the way.

At the 2021 Australian Open, Karatsev broke through as the first man in the Open Era to appear in the semifinals on his major debut—and he achieved it as a qualifier. The breakout tournament ignited a string of successes over the next 12 months that included capturing three ATP titles, upstaging Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, winning the Davis Cup and rising to a career-high No. 14.

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