Karen Khachanov

US Open title favourite Nick Kyrgios is aiming to win his first major but faces an obstacle in Russia's Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals on Tuesday ...

First set - Kyrgios holds 2-2: His serve is on as usual. First set - Khachanov holds 4-3: Games very comfortable for the server. First set - Khachanov holds 3-2: While Kyrgios looks focused, he might be a little flat. The Russian holds to 15 aided by a couple of Kyrgios errors. First set - Khachanov holds 5-4: Another easy service game. Second set - Khachanov holds 1-0: No issues for the Russian. Second set - Khachanov holds 3-2: Easy hold for the Russian. Khachanov executes a brilliant lob to take the set on the first break point as Kyrgios serve volleyed. Second set - Kyrgios holds to win 6-4: Khachanov saves two set points, gets it back to deuce. Third set - Khachanov holds 2-1: Khachanov is digging in here. Fourth set - Kyrgios holds 4-4: We were at 30-30 but Kyrgios survives a scare to hold. Third set - Khachanov holds 6-5: The level has gone up hugely here.

Nick Kyrgios's run at the US Open title came to an agonising end as Karen Khachanov edged out the Australian after five sets at Flushing Meadows.

That proved enough, so soundly did the Australian serve for the rest of the set to level the match. Khachanov saved two break points in the opening game of the third set. The Australian called for medical treatment on the niggle that was bothering him and started the second set in sharper fashion, snaring a break to lead 2-1. The first set was not quite a case of blink and you missed it. This was the type of tennis officials once feared would become commonplace until measures were put in place to slow the pace a little. And the same reach came to the fore when Khachanov, whose forehand technique resembles “The Crane” kick deployed by Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid, whipped one up the line that proved too heavy for Kyrgios to handle on set point. Kygrios had started the match a heavy favourite following his dismantling of Khachanov’s compatriot Daniil Medvedev, the defending champion. When they played at Melbourne Park in 2020, the final four sets of another thriller won by Kyrgios ended in tiebreakers. The favourite for the US Open title after the exit of Rafael Nadal, the Australian looked finally to have found his rhythm in what proved a moody yet electric quarter-final on Tuesday night at Flushing Meadows. Deep in the third set of a tight encounter at four games-all, two break points arose against the rangy Russian who played superbly to produce his career-best performance in a grand slam. On the second of those points, Kyrgios worked into position to punish a forehand. As gallant as the Australian was when edged 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4 by Karen Khachanov at the US Open, one wonders whether such a golden chance will ever come again.

Karen Khachanov withstands 31 aces from Nick Kyrgios to advance to the US Open semi-finals in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He was also headed for another four or five setter with [Jack Draper](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jack-draper/d0co/overview) in the third round before the young Brit retired injured. [Pablo Carreno Busta](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/pablo-carreno-busta/cd85/overview) in the fourth round, has survived a gruelling path to the semi-finals. Kyrgios, who finished the tournament with 116 aces and a tour-leading 27 wins since the beginning of the grass season, climbed to No. Khachanov has surged 13 places during the tournament to No. Just feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all. Khachanov converted four of his first six break point opportunities (4/8 for the match), while Kyrgios converted just two of nine break chances. He's a warrior. He's a fighter. Big serving dominated the first two sets with short points and an unusually subdued Kyrgios giving the crowd little energy to feed off. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “I stayed there. I did it!," Khachanov said.