Alexander Zverev has moved into his second career US Open final, maintaining his pursuit of a second major title this year with a commanding victory over Karen Khachanov. The top seed secured the win with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) performance, marking his third consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam final.
The 29-year-old German, who claimed his first major title at the French Open in June and reached the Wimbledon final in July, is now the clear favourite at Flushing Meadows. His path to the championship match follows a season of remarkable consistency, having reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments this year, even as rivals like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dealt with injuries.
Zverev’s journey in New York began with difficulty, as he was pushed to five sets in each of his opening two matches. Reflecting on his early struggles, Zverev noted, “After the second round, at about 3am I was sitting with my team in the locker room and we were laughing at how bad I was playing. That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final.”
Against the world number 50, Zverev dominated the first set, winning 13 of 15 points on his first serve and all nine net approaches before breaking Khachanov to take the lead. Although Khachanov managed to force a tie-break in the second set after a 22-shot rally, Zverev’s defensive resilience allowed him to convert a set point and take a two-set advantage.
The third set remained tight as both players held serve throughout, leading to another tie-break. Khachanov initially gained the upper hand, creating two set points, but Zverev saved both and ultimately clinched the match when the Russian hit a forehand long. This victory marks a significant return for Zverev, who previously suffered a five-set defeat to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s showpiece, Zverev will face either eighth seed Ben Shelton or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe. The two Americans are scheduled to play their semi-final in Friday’s night session. “I think it will be incredibly special especially, these two guys are crowd favourites and everyone loves them,” Zverev said. “Tonight will be an epic semi-final and I am looking forward to watching it. Hopefully I can not make their American dream come true.” The report also notes that zverev won 13 of 15 points behind his first serve and all nine points at the net in the first set as he broke Khachanov to go 5-3 up before serving out the opener. The report also notes that saving set point with a magnificent backhand to polish off a 22-shot rally, khachanov fought back after going a break down early in the second set and forced a tie-break. The report also notes that it was Zverev who took the initiative to earn another set point, converting it as he outlasted Khachanov in a draining rally with some magnificent defence from the baseline, in a pivotal point of the match. The report also notes that live scores, results and order of play.
