Zhuhai Championships: Karen Khachanov wins first tour title in five years

The title caps an impressive comeback for the 27-year-old Russian, who was competing in only his second tour-level event since his French Open quarterfinal run in May when he suffered a stress fracture in his back.

Karen Khachanov dropped only one set en route to the final. It was his fifth tour title and first since Paris nearly five years ago. | Photo Credit: AFP

Top-seeded Karen Khachanov won his first tour title in nearly five years by beating Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6 (2), 6-1 at the Zhuhai Championships on Tuesday.

The title caps an impressive comeback for the 27-year-old Russian, who was competing in only his second tour-level event since his French Open quarterfinal run in May when he suffered a stress fracture in his back.

Khachanov dropped only one set en route to the final. It was his fifth tour title and first since Paris nearly five years ago.

At the Ningbo Open, third-seeded Sorana Cirstea defeated Claire Liu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, while Kamilla Rakhimova beat sixth-seeded Arantxa Rus 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 and Valeria Savinykh eliminated fifth-seeded Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 7-5.

Wang Xiyu, who won the Guangzhou Open last week, lost to Nadia Podoroska 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Top-seeded Ons Jabeur played later Tuesday against Diane Parry.

At the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Marta Kostyuk beat sixth-seeded Daria Kasatkina beat 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and eighth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova defeated Harriet Dart 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Other first round winners included Linda Noskova, Anastasia Pavlyuchecova, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Despina Papamichail.

Second-ranked Iga Swiatek will make her first appearance in the tournament in the second round against Mai Hontama on Wednesday.