Khachanov recovers against rising Diallo to win Almaty Open

Ravi Ubha

Karen Khachanov met one big server after another at the Almaty Open. The last one was Gabriel Diallo and Khachanov beat the rising Canadian with ties to Almaty

to win his seventh career ATP title.

A set and 4-2 up, Khachanov looked as if he would cruise to victory in Kazakhstan but Diallo — contesting his first ATP final — forced a decider before his more experienced foe prevailed 6-2 5-7 6-3 on Sunday.

«You cannot expect a final to be very easy, without tension,» said Khachanov. «Actually it was, until 6-2 4-2. I was up, then I think he relaxed a little bit, then he started to go for shots more.

«Those kind of matches you feel suddenly you lost a little bit of the dynamics. He turned around the match and you are like, ‘Wow, I need to play a third set now.’ Definitely a lot of emotions. Now, relieved and super happy.»

The 28-year-old bagged a second title of 2024, the first time he has claimed multiple titles in a campaign since his breakthrough 2018.

That was the year Khachanov downed Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters, helping him reach No. 8 in the world a year later.

Three straight Grand Slam quarterfinals at one stage — including two semifinals — further evidence his quality but Khachanov’s form had dipped of late.

After a fine start to 2024, the world No. 26 struggled, with a quarterfinal in Beijing last month marking his first back-to-back victories since May.

But Beijing may have been the catalyst for his week in the high altitude of Almaty.

Diallo’s official ranking of 118 mirrored the ranking (116) of another huge server on the rise, Jakub Mensik, that Khachanov overcame in February’s Doha finale.

Khachanov must love playing in finals, since his record improved to 7-2 at tour level and 14-3 in all pro finals.

Only Diallo, 23, will know whether nerves were a factor at the start at the Almaty Arena.

The 6-foot-8 Montrealer, who had only dropped serve once all week playing in front of a cousin who lives in Almaty (his mom is Ukrainian), was broken straight away.

He rallied from 0-40 to deuce, only to miss a forehand two points later. It must have been unsettling but conversely gave Khachanov the start he hoped for.

Another break came for 4-1 — when Diallo conceded serve from 40-0. He faced 19 break points in total, much more than in his four previous matches combined, and tallied just 33% of his second-serve points.

Diallo indeed wasn’t able to earn as many free points on serve, with Khachanov’s 6-foot-6 frame aiding him in getting returns in play.

Khachanov’s backhand picked up as his semifinal against Aleksandar Vukic developed and it continued to pack a punch early against Diallo.

And when opportunities arose on his mighty forehand, he rarely missed. Fine scrambling gave him another break for 2-1 in the second set.

Diallo hung on, though, saving five break points at 2-4. ‘Saved’ them he did, producing a pair of first serves and a trio of baseline winners.

If that was the start of a shift in momentum, it carried over as Diallo broke for the first time, high-fiving an excited fan thereafter.

Third set needed

The drama escalated and so did the players’ levels. Khachanov roared at 4-5 when he outfoxed Diallo during a net exchange.

His mood changed when, facing a third set point at 5-6, a forehand veered wide.

Diallo surged and led 15-30 in Khachanov’s opening service game of the final set.

As the pendulum swung again, Khachanov survived and then broke for 2-1 as Diallo erred on a forehand.

Diallo was now doing more of the dictating but his level of the end of the second set waned. 

Khachanov needed the second break of the set he later got, since he couldn’t serve out the final at the first time of asking. Similar to his semifinal.

Diallo finally buckled in the next game, sending a backhand wide on match point after two hours, 21 minutes. 

It was still a massive week for Diallo, who had never previously achieved an ATP quarterfinal. He knocked off second-seed Alejandro Tabilo and fourth-seed Francisco Cerundolo en route to the final, becoming a fan favourite in the process.

«Thank you to everyone who organized this beautiful tournament,» said Diallo, adding that he «fell in love» with Almaty.

His ranking is set to climb to around 85th and with his game, he figures to be well inside the Top 100 for years. 

It’s a feeling that Khachanov knows well.

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