June 18, 2019 - 10:28 AMT
Karen Khachanov breaks into ATP top 10 for first time ever

Russian tennis player of Armenian descent Karen Khachanov has for the first time broken into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

Khachanov, 22, enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season in 2018, climbing to world No 11 – having started the season ranked 45th – and winning the biggest title of his career at the Paris Masters in November.

The Russian N1's success in the French capital, where he defeated four top 10 players including top seed Novak Djokovic in the final, was his third title of the year following wins at the Marseille Open and Kremlin Cup.

Khachanov won his first match as a Top 10 player on Monday at the Noventi Open in Halle. The 2017 semi-finalist dismissed Serbian lucky loser Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the second round at the ATP 500 event in Germany.