Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Sep 12: Alexander Zverev advanced to his third consecutive Grand Slam final after defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in the US Open men's semi-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The German second seed was made to work hard in the latter stages of the match after Khachanov fought back from a set and break down to force a second-set tie-break.
With the Russian serving at 5-6 in the tie-break, Khachanov saved Zverev's first set point with a bold forehand winner. He then produced a screaming backhand passing-shot winner at 6-7 before celebrating with a roar.
Zverev, however, remained composed and quickly regained control. He navigated another tense tie-break in similar fashion to close out the match in straight sets and move within one victory of claiming the second Grand Slam title of his career.
Zverev has now reached three consecutive Grand Slam finals for the first time. He followed his maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros with a first Wimbledon final this summer.
The German previously reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in 2020, where he suffered a dramatic five-set defeat to Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets and serving for the championship in a tournament played behind closed doors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zverev will now compete in his sixth Grand Slam final.
Although Zverev was the clear favourite, Khachanov entered the semi-final with an impressive record despite being ranked No 50. The 30-year-old Russian has reached a career-high ranking of No 8, won an Olympic silver medal at Tokyo 2020 and claimed the Paris Masters title in 2018.
Khachanov had also enjoyed considerable success against Zverev, with the German leading their head-to-head record 6-3. Khachanov had defeated Zverev as recently as last year in Canada.
In the end, Zverev's quality on serve and consistency from the baseline proved decisive. Khachanov struggled with his forehand throughout the contest, producing a series of errors at crucial moments, particularly late in the second and third sets.
Zverev's route to the final has also been relatively comfortable after two tense five-set matches in his opening two rounds. He has not dropped a set since then, while his highest-ranked opponents on the way to the final were No 22 Luciano Darderi and No 28 Alejandro Tabilo.
If Zverev wins the US Open, he will have claimed his first two Grand Slam titles without facing a top-eight opponent.
The German will face either Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe in the final. Zverev has a combined 15-1 record against the two Americans, with his only defeat coming against Tiafoe nine years ago.
Despite Zverev being the second-ranked player and Khachanov a former US Open semi-finalist, the match attracted relatively little attention among fans. Tickets for the semi-final were reportedly available for as little as $21 on the resale market before the match, amid controversy surrounding high ticket prices elsewhere during the tournament.