Kay Stumper vs Yuta Tanaka | MS R64 | #WTTAstana 2026

So maybe a little bit more aggressive than Stumper overall. Big stroke on the forehand, but he's looked to shorten and sharpen that. At certain stages, and I think we're going to see both of them maybe reel off a few points in a row at other moments. Oh, but that's too good there from Tanaka. Very, very fast on his feet. An interesting service technique, hasn't he? Changes to the short forehand, but Tanaka. Good flick there from Stumper on the ball. European youth top 10 and European youth singles. Enormous experience for him at the time, he was only 19. Four games to three. Tanaka, a two-time winner at feeder level. It's always going to be tough to stop though. Stumper maybe just went for it a bit too much there. Nice fanning backhand, that's a beautiful feeling. Popularised that shot. Kenta Matsudaira. That fanning backhand of Stumper. Actually, Kenta Matsudaira didn't play the World's Last Year in Doha. Find ways to go deep. They're still a very, very dangerous team. With rich history. And they've got some tough boots to fill. I wouldn't put it past Germany. And then they did do that. Playing World Junior Champion, Ryusei Kawakami. Cannot wait for that one. Dimitrij Ovtcharov. About to begin. A star contender in Kazakhstan. China smash is coming up soon as well. Well played here by Kei Stumper. Not served to forehand. Oh, he plays the fanning backhand again, Stumper. Good looking, he got it. Fired into the box. What a backhand. Oh, man. He's on the receiving end of a dribbler. Tanaka with the slow protection. And he finishes in style, Tanaka. And it's Alvaro Robles who will take on. Use the timeout, Stumper. What can he do? Nice combination there. Has been as high as 62 in the world. Double the ranking. Whining from Tanaka. Oh. Miraculous. Any level at 8-0. Not served. Oh, goes for the pouncing. Stumper is as close to winning a game as he ever has been. Looks like he could well do it here. Slow spin. Well played, Kei Stumper. He was in trouble. Four tables bustling with action. An interesting service ritual. Isn't always overpowering, Stumper. He's just beating him for time. Give Tanaka the pace that he was looking for. The placement wasn't quite there from the German. Oh. First one at the top edge of his racket. Hence the apology. Being a little bit more mindful, I would say, in the shot selection. Will it be game point here or match point? It'll be game point. Wonderful work here. And he takes it. Two players outside the top 90 in the world. Tanaka just inside the top 100. With the weighting of a star contender. With a couple of wins in the main draw, you can find yourself getting a couple of hundred ranking points. It's actually an opportunity to attack very quickly because Stumper was beating him in the touch and push play in that last game. But he's a very good player on his day and this would be a great win for Stumper if he could do it. Just finding himself getting... Oh, bit of an escape there for Stumper. He flicks out. And Stumper's prepared. Oh, wow. Three match point. So many times Tanaka has not been able to retrieve it. And Stumper has come back from behind to defeat Yuta Tanaka here in the round of 64. What a turnaround.