Russian Aslan Karatsev, 27 years old and world No. 42, won his first title this Saturday after winning the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to South African Lloyd Harris by 6-3 and 6-2.
Karatsev is not a shooting star. After reaching the semifinal of the Australian Open, the Russian consolidated in Dubai as one of the great revelations in this 2021.
On his way to the final, Karatsev edged out two of the big favorites to clinch the title, promising young Italian Jannik Sinner and world number 8 compatriot Andrey Rublev.
Harris, on the other hand, came to his first ATP 500 final with his morale intact after leaving the fourth in the world, the Austrian Domic Thiem, and a veteran like the Japanese Kei Nishikori on the shore. However, on the track, the difference between the South African and the Russian was remarkable.
Karatsev left no choice to his rival. In less than an hour and a half, he prevailed in two sets (6-3 and 2-6) through dominant and aggressive tennis. With this victory, the Russian reaches the top 30 of the ATP rankings.
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