Karen Khachanov brought Jakub Mensic back to earth, ending the 18-year-old Czech’s dream run by defeating him in straight sets in the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, an ATP Tour 250 level event.
Every title is a special one, For sure here in Doha it is one of the nicest trophies. Karen Khachanov
In what proved a big hitting encounter between two powerful servers, it was the 27-year-old Russian’s greater experience which eventually prevailed as he captured his sixth tour-level title and first of the season.
Khachanov didn’t drop a set all week as he posted a 7-6 (12) 6-4 victory, fending off four set points in the opener before winning his second consecutive 14-12 tiebreak to secure the set.
The big Russian broke Mensik’s serve in the opening game of the second set which set him off on his way to victory over the teenager who was competing in just his third tour-level event and had become the youngest finalist in Qatar tournament history.
“Every title is a special one,” Khachanov said in his on-court interview. “Every time, you want to win. We play around 22 tournaments per season and at the end of the day, you compete every week. For sure here in Doha it is one of the nicest trophies.
“I thought yesterday’s [14-12 tie-break against Alexei Popyrin] was preparation for today. I couldn’t believe it was the same score, same tie-break.!
“I stayed strong, I’m extremely happy that I won the first set. It lifted me a lot and gave me a lot of confidence to step up in the second.”
Both players fired booming serves at each other throughout the one-hour, 49-minute encounter, as they searched for opportunities to approach the net and deploy a winning volley.
“For a minute, I thought I was playing John Isner and not Jakub Mensic today,” Khachanov, added with a laugh during the trophy presentation, commenting on the 16 aces which the youngster fired past him, as compared to his 9!
Khachanov did not face a break point but was able to maintain a high level of strong play from the baseline and controlled the majority of the regular backhand cross-court rallies which they played.
The Champion, Karen Khachanov (L), poses with his final opponent., Jakub Mensik
(Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mensik, world ranked at 116, impressed throughout the entire week, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovic Fokina in the opening round and then the former world No.1 from Britain, Andy Murray plus the top seeded Russian Andrei Rublev and the French entertainer Gael Monfils in the semis and is now expected to break into the top 100 when the latest rankings are released on Monday.
While disappointed at losing his first final, Mensik was happy with his week.
“For sure this week will be unforgettable for me,” Mensik said. “From the beginning, I didn’t even get to this tournament on my own ranking.
“I had to use the Next Gen spot, so I tried to enjoy every moment on the court. I didn’t expect that I will go through to the final. So I’m really happy with my performance.
“I am sad and also happy at the same time, because [it was] a tough loss today, but yeah, it was a great match.”
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