ASTANA, October 3, 2023
Eight stars adorn the official poster of the fourth edition of the Astana Open. One photo, however, stands out, and not because of its size. It is in black and white and features Adrian Mannarino. And the No. 6 seed of the ATP 250 hard-court event held at the National Tennis Center of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation eventually clinched the title.
Mannarino came back from a set and a break down to outlast fifth favourite Sebastian Korda from the United States 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Tuesday’s singles final. In front of packed stands inside the Beeline Arena, the 35-year-old withstood nine break points and broke his rival’s serve four times. Mannarino won 54 per cent of the total points played to secure victory in two hours and nine minutes.
Classic @AdrianMannarino on championship point! 💪#AstanaOpen pic.twitter.com/mRjhqYrWMj
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 3, 2023
“I was not playing my best in the first set. When I was down in the second, I was just thinking that I needed to do something different, otherwise I am going to lose. So, I tried to be more offensive and it worked out,” said Mannarino, who finished runner-up to John Millman at the 2020 Astana Open.
“I really like this tournament and the atmosphere. The people are really very kind with all the players and were making a lot of efforts. I felt very good here during the week. We had great conditions to play and I am always happy to be back.
“Every year and every tournament that I am playing is just a bonus.”
Mannarino, champion on grass in Newport this year, became the first Frenchman since 2020 to win multiple tour-level titles in one season. By lifting his fourth ATP Tour career trophy, Mannarino pocketed $154,815 in prize money as well as 250 ATP Ranking points.
The veteran has achieved a record-breaking 37 tour-level victories this year, surpassing his previous career best of 33 in 2017. Following his recent triumph, Mannarino has ascended to No. 23 in the Live Rankings, only one position away from his career-high World No. 22.
Finally asked about the tournament’s poster, Mannarino responded: “I am usually not one of the big faces of a tournament. Seeing me on the tournament magazine or on the walls is nice. There are a lot of good players on the poster and I was not supposed to be the winner. I take it as it is and I am happy to be the champion this week.”
Korda was hoping to secure his first title since winning in Parma in 2021. However, the Florida native has faced disappointment in all five tour-level finals he has played on hard courts. Earlier this year, the 23-year-old had a chance to win the championship against Novak Djokovic in Adelaide but fell short. Korda’s current ranking has risen to No. 25 in the ATP Live Rankings, matching his career-high achieved in June.
Lammons/Withrow triumph in doubles
Earlier in the day, Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow from the United States captured the doubles title. The No. 2 seeds beat fourth favourites Mate Pavic from Croatia and Australia’s John Peers 7-6(4), 7-6(7) in one hour and 37 minutes.
Lammons and Withrow claimed their fourth tour-level title of the year following their triumphs on hard courts in Atlanta and Winston-Salem and on grass in Newport. They split $53,780 in prize money and earned 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
⭐️ Your 2023 #AstanaOpen Doubles Champions ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/13kCgLflmS
— Kazakhstan Tennis Federation • Astana Open (@ktf_kz) October 3, 2023
