The 27-year-old Russian tennis player defeated seasoned French Adrian Mannarino – 6/3, 6/3. Both Karen Khachanov and Adrian Mannarino, despite their victories the day before, mentioned that returning to competitive mode after the break was challenging. «But I recharged with the energy of Basta at the concert», confessed the Russian.
Karen not only played excellently but also showcased himself as a cool showman. He personally engaged the audience, played with his head in the best football traditions, and didn't hide his emotions. The spectators in the stands responded with gratitude and passionately supported the Russian player.
Taking the opponent's serve three times and not conceding a single one of his own, Khachanov won two sets with the same score of 6/3, 6/3. Which resulted in ‘Lions’ taking the lead in the confrontation with the ‘Sphinxes’ – 4:3.
«Mitya Tursunov is the brain of our team!» Karen said in an interview after the victory. «In general, it's great to participate in the tournament of this format, with legends of Russian tennis. It's very nice to get together and spend time on the courts».