Khachanov beats Sakamoto in Almaty opener

Karen Khachanov beat Japan's Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round of the ATP 250 tournament in Almaty.

The match lasted 1 hour and 7 minutes. The Russian, ranked 25th in the world, defeated an opponent ranked 124th.

Khachanov hit 9 aces and converted 3 of his 10 break points. Sakamoto recorded 5 aces and 3 double faults.