Diallo, Khachanov reach Almaty Open final in contrasting fashion

Ravi Ubha

Gabriel Diallo keeps on achieving firsts at the Almaty Open, moving into a maiden ATP final and ensuring a spot in the coveted Top 100.

The Canadian — who has been watched all week by a cousin who lives in Kazakhstan’s most populous city — became the first Almaty finalist when he powered past Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-2.

«A lot of joy, excitement, a lot of relief as well,» Diallo, ranked 118th at the start of the tournament, summed up. «I’ve been playing some good tennis and very happy to see that the results have been going my way.

«Means the world to me to do it here. I’ve got family members here that I’ve never met before. It’s pretty cool that they came and I managed to have a great week here. Extremely happy.»

Karen Khachanov then rallied past Aleksandar Vukic 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-4 in another battle between the pair to make multiple finals in a campaign for the first time since 2018.

«It was a very tight, very close match, very stressful in a way,» said Khachanov. «I had to stay always calm, focused to serve it out especially in the third set.»

The 6-foot-8 Diallo had never made an ATP quarterfinal before this week but winning a Challenger in Chicago in late July and making the third round at the US Open as a qualifier showed that the 23-year-old was on the rise.

By getting the better of the fourth seed from Argentina, the Montrealer will sit at around 87th even if he loses the final and jumps to around 75th with a victory.

The last three games of the first set proved decisive.

A Cerundolo double fault handed Diallo the first break point at 3-3. Controlling play from the baseline, Cerundolo moved forward yet paid the price for indecision and netted a backhand.

Diallo escaped from 0-30 at 4-3 with four rocketed serves, then did the same at 4-5 — including producing a potent second serve that barely touched the centre line.

Cerundolo, ranked 31st, grew increasingly frustrated.

He double faulted to drop serve to start the second set and struck another double fault — this time going big — to trail 3-0.

The way Diallo is serving, there was little chance for Cerundolo to rally and advance to a first hard-court ATP final.

Second-seed Alejandro Tabilo has been the lone player this week to break Diallo’s serve.

Khachanov and Vukic battled again

Vukic topped defending champion Adrian Mannarino and top-seed Frances Tiafoe in the past two rounds, evidencing the quality he possesses.

When his serve and forehand are working, the 85th-ranked Australian is especially difficult to stop.

Khachanov knew that, given Vukic downed him in a third-set tiebreak on grass in June. Khachanov did well to get to a final-set tiebreak, since Vukic led by a set and 5-3 in the second and third.

History repeated itself Saturday as Vukic relinquished a lead. 

He was on top 5-2, 30-0 on the Khachanov serve but erred on a forehand drop shot with his opponent stranded.

It switched the momentum, as did Vukic missing two set points in the next game.

Saving a break point at 5-5 appeared to settle the 28-year-old though and he stormed to the tiebreak after grabbing a 4-0 lead.

Fine serving helped Vukic erase a pair of break points at 1-2 in the second but a miscalculation later cost him dearly.  

Trying to fend off a break point, he had a play on Khachanov’s passing shot but the let ball go thinking it was going wide.

It didn’t and Khachanov broke for 5-3.

Khachanov picked up where he left off by breaking to begin the third although had to save three straight break points at 2-1.

The world No. 26 let slip a 4-0 lead in a fifth set against Dan Evans in what was the US Open’s longest ever match but hung on against Vukic despite a late wobble.

Known for his powerful ground strokes — especially the forehand — and rapid serve, mixing in backhands down the line and defending when he needed to aided his comeback.

«It was a very nervous last couple of games but I think overall the match was great, good level,» said Khachanov, who beat Diallo in August in Montreal. «I’m happy that I could make the final.»

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