Karen Khachanov ends teenager Jakub Mensik’s winning run with 2024 Qatar Open final victory

Karen Khachanov won the Qatar Open on Saturday when he defeated teenage opponent Jakub Mensik 7-6(12) 6-4.

The 27-year-old now boasts six tour titles, and it is the first of the 2024 season for the world No. 17.

Khachanov was able to draw on a wealth of experience compared to his 18-year-old opponent, and showed some steely determination to see off four set points in the first set before winning the tie-break.

“Every title is a special one,” Khachanov said of his win. “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 [tie-break] was preparation for today, 14-12 [against Alexei Popyrin]. 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 relied on their serves at times in a match that lasted almost two hours, and the victor paid tribute to his opponent’s power.

“For a minute, I thought I was playing John Isner and not Jakub Mensik today,” Khachanov said, with Mensik having produced 16 aces over two sets.

“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.”