Unseeded Karen stuns Djoker KUMKHUM COMES FROM BEHIND TO EMERGE CHAMP

Paris, Nov. 4: Karen Khachanov upset a tiredlooking Novak Djokovic 75, 6-4 to win the Paris Masters title and deprive Djokovic the chance on Sunday of matching Rafael Nadal’s record of 33 Masters titles.

Djokovic, a record fourtime champion at the indoor event, looked out of energy after an epic threehour semifinal win against Roger Federer on Saturday.

Although Djokovic broke in the fourth game to move 3-1 up and then led 30-0 on serve, the unseeded Khachanov broke him straight back and the momentum abruptly shifted away from Djokovic.

The unseeded Khachanov has won four career titles and all four finals he has played in.

Earlier in the semifinals, Djokovic’s latest victory over Roger Federer was among the toughest and best in their epic rivalry, a 7-6 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (3) feast of attacking tennis which had the roaring crowd on their feet and remained in doubt until the very end.

It finally ended, after three hours, when Djokovic moved 6-1 up in the tiebreaker. Federer saved two match points but cracked in a long rally and chopped a backhand into the net. “We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best,” Djokovic said.

It was Djokovic’s fourth straight win over Federer and 25th in 47 contests.

— AP Mumbai, Nov. 4: Fifth seed Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand came back from a set down to defeat unseeded Irina Khromacheva of Russia in the final of the L&T Mumbai Open tennis tournament here on Sunday.

Kumkhum showed great fight to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 at the Cricket Club of India’s hard courts.

Earlier in the semifinals, Khromacheva stunned second seed Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia 6-4, 7-5 while Kumkhum beat sixthseeded Russian Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4.

Left-handed Irina was trailing 0-3 in both the sets after dropping her serve but came out with some clever play to upset the rhythm of Dalila, ranked 73rd and the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus last year in the $125,000 WTA event.

Irina, who was ranked 165 going into the tournament, slowed down the pace of the rallies consistently to upset the rhythm of her higher-ranked rival and won the match in an hour and 30 minutes.

The 23-year-old, Moscow-born Irina thus made it 2-1 in head to head encounters between the two players. — PTI