Fayziev Records Breakthrough Week At Home In Tashkent

Denis Istomin and Farukh Dustov are the only players from Uzbekistan to reach the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, but this week’s $125,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Tashkent has revealed a new face that could become the next Uzbek player to accomplish the feat.

Sanjar Fayziev made the most of the main draw wild card given to him by reaching his first Challenger quarterfinal in his hometown. The 22 year old, ranked No. 521 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, scored his biggest career win in the opening round by defeating fourth seed and World No. 95 Evgeny Donskoy of Russia in a third-set tie-break. He then backed up that victory with another three-set win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan.

Although he lost in the quarter-finals on Thursday to fifth seed Konstantin Kravchuk of Russia, Fayziev said he was pleased with the progress he made this week.

“It’s been a mixed year because I’ve been hampered by chronic throat and heart issues that kept me out, but now my fitness is fine and I’m fighting again,” said Fayziev. “I’m really pleased about the journey this week.”

Fayziev said he credited his Tashkent success with playing his first Davis Cup tie for Uzbekistan last month in his home city. Although he lost to Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland, he said the occasion showed him “how to be emotionally calm and stable and that’s helped me to close out matches here.”

He’s one of several players from Uzbekistan under the age of 22 who are currently making inroads up the Emirates ATP Rankings, including Temur Ismailov and Khumuon Sultanov. They all practice together regularly and find themselves at many of the same ITF Futures and Challenger events throughout Central Asia.

“We have a good friendship and training sessions between us, as well as good guidance from our mentors,” said Fayziev. “Obviously this helps all of us and the support and faith we get from our federation also motivates us to work harder.”

Fayziev’s inspired run in Tashkent will bring him up nearly 100 places in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday. Although he will compete in ITF Futures events for the remainder of 2016, this week has shown he can become a regular on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“Challengers are difficult because the returns are faster, the serves are harder and players have more experience, but it’s a good opportunity for me,” said Fayziev. “The wins this week make me more confident that I belong here.”