John Millman claims maiden title with victory at Astana Open

01 November 2020 - 15:01 By Reuters
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John Millman nearly lost in the quarterfinals but saved two match points to storm into the semis.
John Millman nearly lost in the quarterfinals but saved two match points to storm into the semis.
Image: Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Australian fourth seed John Millman beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-1 in the final of the Astana Open to claim his maiden ATP Tour title on Sunday.

Millman had previously lost two finals in his career but cruised to the title after a tough opening set, breaking Mannarino three times in the contest and denying the third seed a single break.

Millman saved five break points in the opening set which went with serve until he got the crucial break at 6-5 to take the lead.

The second set was one-way traffic after the opening two games, however, with Millman winning five games in a row as Mannarino's unforced error count continued to climb.

The 31-year-old Australian was nearly knocked out earlier in the tournament when he saved two match points against Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals and fought back from a set down to overcome Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals. 


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