Khachanov resists Diallo in dramatic Almaty final

Karen Khachanov was forced to take the scenic route on Sunday, but did so in dramatic fashion to clinch his seventh ATP Tour title at the Almaty Open.

In a pendulum-swinging contest, the third seed resisted a late fightback to defeat Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Khachanov appeared to have one hand on the trophy when he led by a set and a break, but Diallo mustered some gutsy tennis to level the contest from the brink of defeat and ignite hopes of a comeback.

“A lot of emotions, now I’m relieved and super happy,” said Khachanov, who improved to 7-2 in tour-level finals. “You can’t expect a final to be easy, without tension, but it was until 6-2, 4-2. Then he started to relax, go for his shots a little bit more, and he suddenly turned the match around.”

Almighty in Almaty 👑@ktf_kz | #AlmatyOpen | @karenkhachanov pic.twitter.com/yvrsyK2XUx

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Diallo, who was bidding to win his maiden ATP Tour title, is up to a career-high of No. 87 in the Live PIF ATP Rankings after a career-best week in Almaty. The 23-year-old showed grit to go toe-to-toe with the World No. 26, but ultimately faltered in a one-sided decider.

Despite going the distance in both his semi-final against Aleksandar Vukic and the championship match, Khachanov was relentless in his approach. He was particularly dialled in on return in the showdown, creating 19 break point opportunities against the explosive serving of Diallo.

Khachanov won 92 per cent (11/12) of points behind his first serve in a lights-out first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He then kept his foot on the gas to dismantle Diallo’s serve in the third game of the second set to earn a commanding lead.

However, trailing by a set and 2-4, Diallo showed resilience to save five break points in a 15-minute game, shifting the momentum firmly in his favour. Buoyed by the crowd, both players raised their levels, but it was Khachanov who stood firm to seal victory in two hours, 23 minutes.

With the triumph in Almaty, Khachanov secured his first ATP Tour title on indoor hard courts since defeating Novak Djokovic to claim the 2018 ATP Masters 1000 Paris title. It is also the second time that the 28-year-old has clinched multiple titles in a season, after succeeding in Doha in February.