Karen Khachanov overcame a spirited performance from Dutch wild card Jesper de Jong to advance in the first round of the Rotterdam ATP 500, securing a hard-fought three-set victory on Court 1.
First Set: De Jong Starts Strong
Backed by home support, De Jong began the match aggressively. After holding serve, he immediately broke Khachanov and surged to a 2–0 lead. He consolidated the break confidently to extend the advantage to 3–0.
From that moment on, the Dutchman maintained control throughout the opening set, not allowing Khachanov a single break opportunity. De Jong’s proactive approach and clean ball-striking earned him the first set, rewarding the local crowd for their enthusiastic support.
Second Set: Khachanov Responds Under Pressure
The second set was defined by solid serving from both players. Neither man faced a break point until the crucial moment at 5–4 in Khachanov’s favor.
With De Jong serving to stay in the set, Khachanov seized his first break opportunity of the match and converted immediately, forcing a deciding third set.
Deciding Set: Experience Makes the Difference
De Jong came out attacking once again in the final set, breaking Khachanov early to take a 1–0 lead and consolidating for 2–0. The momentum appeared to shift back toward the Dutchman.
However, Khachanov’s experience began to show. He capitalized on a weaker service game from De Jong to break back and level the set. De Jong later created two break opportunities on Khachanov’s serve, but the Russian held firm under pressure.
At 6–5, De Jong served to stay in the match but was unable to hold. Khachanov converted his second break point of the game to seal the set and the match.
While De Jong justified the wild card he received with a highly competitive performance — even producing more winners than Khachanov — the Russian proved slightly stronger in key moments. Khachanov’s efficiency on return and higher break-point conversion ultimately made the difference.
The Rotterdam crowd responded with strong applause for their home player after an entertaining contest.
With this result confirmed, the full landscape of the opening round in Rotterdam can be explored via the complete first round draw