S. Pankin defeated D. Palan 6-1, 6-4 in the Astana men's singles. Returning was the key: Pankin converted four breaks and finished with 25 receiver points won to Palan's 10.
Pankin dominated the opener, breaking in game two and game four to lead 4-0 before taking the set 6-1. Palan struck back at the start of the second set by breaking in game two to open a 2-0 lead, but Pankin broke straight back in game three, then made the decisive move with a break in game seven to go 4-3 and close out the set 6-4.
The standout number was Pankin's return game: he won 25 receiving points to Palan's 10 and broke his opponent four times. Palan's cause was hurt by eight double faults, while Pankin won 80% of points behind his first serve.