Karen Khachanov of Russia clinched the 2024 Qatar ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship title, securing a straight-sets victory over Czech player Jakub Měnšík.
In the final match of the 250-point category event, 27-year-old Karen Khachanov captured his inaugural Qatar title and his sixth career trophy by overcoming 18-year-old Czech newcomer Jakub Měnšík with scores of 7-6, 6-4.
HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, minister of sports and youth, together with Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, president of the Qatar Tennis Federation, and tournament director Karim Al Alami, presented the Russian victor with the Golden Falcon trophy. His Czech competitor was honoured with the runner-up award.
Khachanov’s victory thwarted Měnšík’s chance to claim his first-ever title in Qatar and on the Professional Tennis Players Association (ATP) tour.
Khachanov’s journey
Ranked second in the tournament and 17th worldwide, Khachanov began his quest at the Qatar Championship from the second round, receiving a bye from the organisers along with the top four seeds. He clinched a 2-0 win over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan to move into the quarterfinals, then advanced to the semifinals after Finnish player Emil Ruusuvuori retired due to injury. In the semifinals, Khachanov overcame Australian Alexei Popyrin 2-0 to reach the final.
This victory adds a sixth ATP circuit title to Khachanov’s achievements, including his win at the 2018 Paris Masters. He also made it to the semifinals of the US Open in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2023.
Měnšík’s impressive trail
On the other hand, Jakub Měnšík made history as the youngest finalist in the Qatar Championship’s history, overcoming the experienced Frenchman Gaël Monfils, 2018 champion, with a 2-1 victory.
Měnšík embarked on his campaign with a strong start, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 2-0 in the opening round. He then ousted Andy Murray, the British veteran, and Qatar Championship victor in 2008 and 2009, with a 2-1 win to reach the quarterfinals. His remarkable run continued as he overcame the top-seeded and world number five Russian, Andrey Rublev, the 2020 Qatar Championship winner, with a straight-set 2-0 victory. This win marked Měnšík as the youngest player to defeat a top-five global ranking player since Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open.
Photo credits: Qatar Tennis Federation, The Peninsula Qatar
