Zverev survives Khachanov challenge to reach US Open final
Goldlaner.com – Alexander Zverev is back in the US Open championship match after withstanding a three-set test from Karen Khachanov on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The top-seeded German defeated the unseeded Russian 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in the opening men’s semifinal, earning his second appearance in a final at Flushing Meadows. While the scoreline showed a straight-sets victory, Khachanov ensured that every stage after the opening set demanded Zverev’s full attention.
Zverev will play for the title on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET against either No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, who were scheduled to meet in the other semifinal.
A commanding start, followed by two tense tiebreaks
The first set was comparatively straightforward for Zverev. He controlled the early exchanges and took it 6-3, while Khachanov accumulated nearly twice as many unforced errors as his opponent in the set.
Khachanov, however, did not allow that difficult opening to dictate the rest of the evening. The 30-year-old settled into the match, protected his serve and pushed the second set into a tiebreak. Zverev ultimately edged it 9-7 in the breaker, moving within one set of the final.
The third set developed into another close contest, with neither player able to establish a decisive advantage. Zverev led 6-5 and attempted to finish the match before another tiebreak, but the match paused when he raised concerns with the chair umpire about sunlight glare. The reaction from spectators was unfavorable, and Khachanov won the following game to force another breaker.
The glare appeared to be connected to reflections from glass doors at the suites when they were open. Even with the issue still seemingly troubling him, Zverev recovered after falling behind 4-1 in the tiebreak. He fought back to level the score at 6-6, then saved two set points before converting his own match point.
Another major final awaits
The victory gives Zverev a chance to erase the disappointment of his 2020 US Open final defeat. It also extends an impressive run at the sport’s biggest events: Sunday will mark his third consecutive grand slam final appearance.
Zverev captured the first major title of his career at Roland Garros in early June, and his latest win places him one victory away from adding the US Open trophy to that breakthrough season.
Whoever emerges from the all-American semifinal will carry substantial crowd support into the final. Both Shelton and Tiafoe are popular figures in New York, a reality Zverev acknowledged after his win.
“I think its going to be incredibly special,” Zverev told ESPN. “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 remark reflected the challenge Zverev may face beyond the baseline on Sunday. Arthur Ashe Stadium is expected to be firmly behind an American finalist, but the No. 1 seed has already shown throughout the tournament that he can manage high-pressure moments.
A landmark semifinal for American tennis
Shelton and Tiafoe enter their semifinal with more than a place in the final at stake. Neither man has previously reached a grand slam championship match, guaranteeing that the winner will achieve a career first.
The winner will also become the first American to contest the men’s US Open final since Taylor Fritz in 2024. A title would carry even greater historical weight, as no American man has won the tournament since Andy Roddick lifted the trophy in 2003.
The matchup is also a significant moment for representation in the sport. Shelton and Tiafoe are the first two Black American men to meet in a US Open men’s singles semifinal. Their meeting guarantees that a Black American man will compete in the final for the first time since Arthur Ashe’s final appearance at the event in 1972.
For Zverev, the equation is now simple: recover from a physically and emotionally demanding semifinal, prepare for a potentially hostile home crowd, and attempt to complete another milestone in a season already defined by major-match success. Khachanov made him work for every opening on Friday, but Zverev found the answers when the match was at its tightest.
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