Clinical Millman beats Mannarino for breakthrough ATP triumph

John Millman has the first ATP Tour title of his career after beating Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-1 at the Astana Open.

This has been a tough season for the Australian, who had not managed to wins at the same Tour-level event since the Australian Open until this week.

But a string of impressive results against Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Paul and then Frances Tiafoe secured a final meeting with Mannarino.

The Frenchman's 2020 struggles have been even more stark, taking a 6-14 record to Kazakhstan, and he proved an accommodating opponent for Millman, failing to take his opportunities.

Five break points came and went for Mannarino in the first set before Millman broke at the first attempt to take the opener.

Mannarino then offered little resistance in the second, waiting until the final game to squander his sixth and last chance as Millman claimed a straight-sets win.

Match Point(s) Saved Champions in 2020* Novak Djokovic (Dubai) Jiri Vesely (Pune) Reilly Opelka (Delray Beach) Ugo Humbert (Antwerp) John Millman (Nur-Sultan) *Players who have saved a match point across the tournament they eventually won. pic.twitter.com/2VjXAaX0kV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 1, 2020