(Reuters) - Australian youngster Alex de Minaur won his third title of the season at the Zhuhai Championships on Sunday, beating Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4) 6-4 in the final to edge closer to a top-20 world ranking.
De Minaur, currently 31 in the world, overcame the Frenchman in a little over two hours to cap an impressive week for the 20-year-old.
He powered past three-times Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, world number 14 Borna Coric and 10th-ranked Roberto Bautista Agut en route to Sunday's championship match.
His trophy in China will sit alongside the ones he won in his hometown Sydney and Atlanta earlier this year.
De Minaur was almost flawless on serve, never facing a break point, but squandered 12 chances to go up a break against his French opponent until the final point of the match, when Mannarino netted a backhand.
The pair may not have to wait for long to play each other again, as first-round wins at next week's Japan Open would set up a last-16 showdown.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)