Khacharov wins Zhuhai Championships for first title in five years

ZHUHAI, China (AP) — 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 Chengdu Open, top-seeded Alexander Zverev claimed his 21st career title with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Roman Safiullin.

The 26-year-old German recovered from being a set and a break down in the final to clinch a pivotal second-set tiebreaker against the 55th-ranked Russian, who was playing in his first career final.

Zverev broke Safiullin early in the decider before holding firm on serve for his second title of the year after winning at Hamburg in July.

At the Ningbo Open, top-seeded Ons Jabeur beat Diane Parry 7-6 (3), 7-5 to advance to the last 16. 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.

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.

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