SHYMKENT, May 27, 2017
Ricardas Berankis clinched his first title of the season in his only second tournament back from a hip injury, becoming the champion of the $50,000 Shymkent Challenger.
The fifth seed from Lithuania edged past the tournament’s number three Yannick Hanfmann from Germany, winning 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s singles final.
Comeback completed! In just his 2nd tournament back from hip surgery, @berankisr takes the title in Shymkent, d. #Hanfmann 63 62 on Saturday pic.twitter.com/1t9omFv9q3
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) 27. Mai 2017
Berankis won 69 per cent of his first service points and capitalized on four of his six break point chances to secure victory in 69 minutes. By claiming his eighth ATP Challenger career title, the 26-year-old takes away $7,200 in prize money as well as 80 ATP ranking points.
Hanfmann, who competed in his first event since his fabulous run into the quarterfinals of the BMW Open in Munich, was eyeing his first Challnger title and earns $4,210 and 48 ATP ranking points.
On Friday, Hans Podlipnik Castillo from Chile and Andrei Vasilevski of Belarus took the doubles crown. The top seeds defeated Clement Geens from Belgium and Argentine Juan Pablo Paz 6-4, 6-2 in 57 minutes.
