Karen Khachanov ended Jakub Mensik’s bid to become the 10th youngest ATP champion with a straight sets win in the Qatar Open final on Saturday.
The 17th-ranked Russian won 7-6 (14/12), 6-4 to claim a sixth career title against 18-year-old Mensik, the youngest finalist at a tour event since Carlos Alcaraz at Umag in 2021.
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Czech teenager Mensik, ranked 116 who will break into the top 100 next week, was playing in just his third main draw event following breakout runs to the third round of the 2023 US Open and a second-round appearance at the Australian Open last month.
On his way to the Doha final, he knocked out former world number one Andy Murray as well as top seed Andrey Rublev.
