Russia’s Aslan Karatsev won the VTB Kremlin Cup on Sunday to keep his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals alive.
Russia’s Aslan Karatsev won the VTB Kremlin Cup on Sunday to keep his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals alive.
Karatsev secured his second tour-level title with a 6-2 6-4 victory over former US Open winner Marin Cilic in 77 minutes and did not drop a set all week in Moscow.
The second seed is 13th in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, 675 points behind ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz.
Hurkacz occupies the final qualification spot with eighth-placed Rafael Nadal out for the rest of the season with a foot injury.
Karatsev, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open as a qualifier at the start of the year, broke Cilic in the first game and dropped just one point behind his first serve in the opening set.
A break of serve in the seventh game of the second set then helped the 28-year-old secure the title and leave Cilic still searching for the 20th success of his career.
In Antwerp, Italy’s Jannik Sinner also did not drop a single set on his way to a fifth ATP Tour title in the European Open.
Sinner defeated second seed Diego Schwartzman 6-2 6-2 in Sunday’s final and climbs to 10th in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, just 110 points behind Hurkacz.
The 20-year-old overpowered his Argentinian opponent and hit winners from all areas of the court, particularly off his forehand.
