Istomin takes Chengdu title as injury forces Baghdatis retirement

Chengdu, October 1: Denis Istomin lifted the Chengdu Open trophy after Marcos Baghdatis was forced to retire due to a back injury in Sunday's final.

Trailing 3-2 in the opening set, Baghdatis slumped to the floor in clear distress after serving at 15-30.

The 32-year-old was quickly comforted by his opponent, who placed a towel under Baghdatis' head as the Cypriot was attended to by a physio.

It was soon clear that Baghdatis, who had been seeking his first title since 2010, was unable to continue, meaning Istomin was crowned the champion in an anti-climactic end to the tournament.

"I was feeling a bit of pain in my back during the week, but late after my match last night I felt some spasms," explained Baghdatis.

"This morning I woke up a bit the same. After my warm-up, it got worse. The ATP physio worked on me for an hour and a half. I was okay for three or four games and the spasms came back. I've had back issues before, but not like this."

A sympathetic Istomin said: "I know his situation, because I've had a lot of injuries. I know the feeling and we are good friends, so my first thought was to help Marcos when I saw him go down.

"Of course I want to win the title, but not this way. I hope he gets better and will be okay for the rest of the season."

Istomin is now a two-time winner on the ATP World Tour, this latest triumph following his breakthrough tournament victory in Nottingham two years ago.

Source: OPTA