Alexander Zverev defeats Karen Khachanov, reaches US Open final and eyes second major

Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates (AP Photo) Alexander Zverev has spent years knowing the frustration of coming close to a Grand Slam title without being able to finish the job. After ending that wait for good at the French Open this year, the German has another big opportunity ahead of him.This time, however, he hopes to extend the drought even longer.Zverev reached the US Open final with a 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) victory over Karen Khachanov on Friday, setting up a Sunday showdown against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 Frances Tiafoe.Neither Shelton nor Tiafoe had previously reached a Grand Slam final, although both reached the semi-finals of the US Open. The winner of their meeting will bid to become the first American to play for the title in New York.The United States is still waiting for its next men’s Grand Slam champion, with Andy Roddick’s triumph at the 2003 US Open remaining the last men’s major title.“I hope I can’t achieve the American dream on Sunday,” Zverev said.

Zverev’s long wait is finally over

For most of his career, Zverev carried the unwanted label of being the best men’s player without a Grand Slam title. That changed at this year’s French Open when he finally won his first major.The record of 24-2, which he created in Grand Slam matches this season, only underlines how dramatically his fortunes have changed.After winning in Paris, Zverev reached the Wimbledon final, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner. Now he has the chance to add another major title just months after first breaking through.“Sometimes things just go your way and I feel like I’ve had a lot of matches at the major level, I’ve been so close so many times and maybe this year God said this is going to be your year and just enjoy your time on court,” Zverev said.

2020 broken heart still fresh

A US Open title would have special meaning for Zverev because of what happened five years ago.In the 2020 final, he appeared to be on his way to his first Grand Slam crown after taking the opening two sets against Dominic Thiem. But Thiem fought back and eventually prevailed in the fifth set tiebreak.The victory made Thiem the first man since 1949 to win the US Open after losing the opening two sets.Zverev now has another chance to finish the job in New York.Against Khačanov, he made sure that the match did not follow the same pattern. After the first two sets, he remained balanced and closed the competition in straight sets. The win also extended his streak to 13 straight sets.

Khachanov defends, but Zverev holds firm

Khachanov entered the semifinals as the No. 50 seed and unexpectedly raced to his first Grand Slam final.The Russian arrived in New York with a loss for the season but produced one of the tournament’s surprises by reaching his third Grand Slam semi-final and second at the US Open.He struggled with Zverev at first, losing the first set before going down 2-0 in the second. Gradually, however, he found his rhythm, broke Zverev’s serve to level the set, and held the top seed until the tiebreak.Khachanov saved Zverev’s first two set points but the German eventually prevailed after winning a remarkable 34-shot rally.The third set again went to a tiebreak and Khachanov looked good as he moved to 3-0 and then 5-2.However, Zverev made another comeback to deny him and seal his progress to the final.

Rocky start before the run to the final

Zverev’s path to the championship match was far from straightforward.He became the first No. 1 seed to go five-set matches in each of the opening two rounds of a major after being ousted by Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys.Those two games alone kept him on the field for nearly 9 1/2 hours. Zverev admitted that his performances were bad enough that he and his team laughed about them after the second-round match.“That kind of sense of humor helped me,” Zverev said.The German gradually turned the tournament around.“As I progressed, I played a lot better tennis. Of course I improved a little bit. Otherwise I wouldn’t be in the US Open final.”While Zverev and Khachanov battled it out to reach the final, the second semi-final was expected to draw a lot of attention in New York.Shelton and Tiafoe, two of the biggest fans in American men’s tennis, were scheduled to meet on a day that also marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.Both players had previously reached the semi-finals of the US Open, but neither of them managed to advance one step further at the Grand Slam.A winner would not only reach a first major final but also keep alive American hopes of ending their long wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion.Interestingly, the Zverev-Chachanov semifinal attracted surprisingly low ticket prices compared to the Shelton-Tiafoe contest. No. 50 Khačanov was also attempting to become the lowest-ranked US Open finalist since the ATP rankings began in 1973.However, Zverev saw to it that the Russian’s remarkable run ended one match short of the final.