Monday 03 / February / 2025
Chengdu: Russian tyro Karen Khachanov produced a stirring fightback to clinch his first ATP title with a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final of the inaugural Chengdu Open on Sunday.
The 20-year-old, ranked 101st in the world, is expected to soar nearly 50 places in the ATP standings after humbling fifth seed Ramos-Vinolas.
Playing in his third ATP final, Ramos-Vinolas converted his only break point early in the match and looked poised to clinch the first set easily but Khachanov forced a tiebreak before surrendering it 7-4.
However, Khachanov levelled the match against the Spaniard when he bagged a tightly-contested second set 7-3 in the tiebreak.
Khachanov, who had beaten three seeded players en-route to his first ATP final, relied on his strong service game to complete a memorable win.
