No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev outlasts Karen Khachanov to book place in US Open final

Alexander Zverev Reaches Second US Open Final After Three-Set Battle

Earthguardiansonline.com – Alexander Zverev is back in the US Open championship match after surviving a stubborn challenge from Karen Khachanov in Friday’s first men’s semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The top seed secured a 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) victory, but the straight-sets scoreline did not reflect how fiercely Khachanov pushed him across nearly every stage of the contest.

The 29-year-old German will make his second career appearance in a US Open final, six years after losing the 2020 title match in Flushing Meadows. Sunday offers him another opportunity to change that result and add to a season in which he claimed his first major title at Roland Garros in early June.

Zverev’s win also sends him into a third consecutive Grand Slam final, a notable stretch of consistency at the sport’s biggest tournaments. Yet he had to work hard to prevent Khachanov from extending the semifinal beyond three sets.

A quick opening set, followed by mounting resistance

The match initially appeared to be moving comfortably in Zverev’s direction. He took the opening set 6-3 with a composed performance, while Khachanov accumulated almost twice as many unforced errors as his opponent. The Russian, unseeded in the tournament and 30 years old, struggled to settle early against the tournament’s leading seed.

Khachanov did not allow that difficult start to dictate the rest of the afternoon. He remained patient in the second set, held his ground during lengthy exchanges and forced a tiebreak. Zverev eventually edged it 7-6 (7), but only after a tense finish in which neither player gave much away.

The third set followed a similar pattern. Both men protected their service games and traded momentum, leaving little separation between them. Zverev held a 6-5 advantage and had the chance to avoid another tiebreak, but the set did not end there.

Before that game, Zverev spoke to the chair umpire about glare caused by sunlight. The issue drew a negative reaction from spectators in the stadium. The glare was linked to light reflecting off the glass on suite doors when they were open, and the distraction appeared to remain a factor as the match moved into another tiebreak.

Zverev Recovers in a High-Pressure Tiebreak

Khachanov seized an early 4-1 lead in the decisive tiebreak, putting real pressure on Zverev with a place in the final at stake. Zverev responded, however, working his way back to level the score at 6-6. The match had become a test of nerve as much as shot-making.

He saved two set points before creating a match point of his own, then finished the job to close out the semifinal. The result rewarded Zverev’s ability to recover after falling behind in the final tiebreak and denied Khachanov the chance to force a fourth set.

For Khachanov, the defeat ended a determined run in New York. Although he was unable to convert his opportunities late in the match, he turned an uneven opening set into a highly competitive semifinal and repeatedly made Zverev earn the victory.

An Awaiting Final Against an American Contender

Zverev will face either No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe in Sunday’s final, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Their semifinal carries major significance for American men’s tennis as well as for the tournament’s history.

Shelton and Tiafoe are both seeking the first Grand Slam final of their careers. Whichever player wins will become the first American man to reach the US Open final since Taylor Fritz in 2024. The eventual champion would also have an opportunity to become the first American male winner of the event since Andy Roddick lifted the trophy in 2003.

The matchup is historically meaningful in another way: it is the first US Open men’s singles semifinal featuring two Black American men. Its winner will become the first Black American man to play in the US Open final since Arthur Ashe’s last final appearance in 1972.

Zverev recognized that the New York crowd is likely to heavily support the American semifinal winner. Both Shelton and Tiafoe have become popular figures with home audiences, and a final against either would place Zverev in a difficult atmosphere despite his status as the tournament’s No. 1 seed.

“I think its going to be incredibly special,” Zverev said. “Especially these two guys, Frances and Ben, crowd favorites here in New York. Everybody loves them. … Hopefully I can not make the American dream.”

The German’s task on Sunday will therefore involve more than managing the opponent across the net. He will be seeking redemption from the 2020 final while attempting to quiet a crowd invested in a potential homegrown champion.

For Zverev, the semifinal showed both the strength of his current form and the fine margins that can define a Grand Slam campaign. He controlled the first set, stayed composed through two tiebreaks and found a route back when Khachanov threatened to take the third set away from him. Those moments have delivered him to one more US Open final, where a career-defining title is now within reach.