Karen Khachanov stunned third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime after losing the opening-set tiebreak, dominating the next three sets with powerful serving and relentless pressure to reach round three.
IMAGE: Russia’s Karen Khachanov celebrates winning his US Open second round match against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in New York on Thursday. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Key Points
World No. 50 Karen Khachanov stunned third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the US Open third round.
Khachanov broke seven times and saved seven of nine break points to claim only his second Grand Slam win over a top-10 opponent.
After losing a tight opening-set tiebreak, Khachanov raced ahead early in the second and never surrendered control.
Auger-Aliassime struggled badly after the first set, while Khachanov surged to a 4-0 lead in the fourth before sealing a comprehensive victory.
Russia’s Karen Khachanov stunned Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round of the US Open.
World No. 50 Khachanov, who lost the opening match in his three US Open tune-up events, was far from spectacular but did enough on a day when 2025 semifinalist Auger-Aliassime struggled mightily.
Khachanov, who made a run to the US Open semifinals in 2022, broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve seven times on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court and saved seven of the nine break points he faced en route to securing only his second top-10 win at a Grand Slam.
Khachanov Capitalises on Auger-Aliassime’s Errors
IMAGE: Karen Khachanov will take on either Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi or Peruvian Ignacio Buse next. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Auger-Aliassime looked ready to whip through the first set after consolidating a break for a 3-0 lead but was suddenly undone by a string of errors, allowing Khachanov to pull ahead before the Canadian broke for a second time to get to 4-4.
But Khachanov showed he was ready for a fight and twice held at love while serving to stay in the set before falling short in the tiebreaker, which ended when he sent a backhand long after chasing down an Auger-Aliassime volley.
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The Russian Takes Firm Control
IMAGE: Felix Auger-Aliassime returns against Karen Khachanov. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
In the second set it was Khachanov’s turn to jump ahead 3-0 but he never looked back, ultimately closing it out on his serve after coming back from 15-40 down.
Khachanov cruised through the third set, breaking at love to reach 4-1 en route to wrapping up the frame on his serve and leaving Auger-Aliassime with a long road back on a day when little was going right for him.
A Blistering Start to the Fourth Set
IMAGE: Karen Khachanov and Felix Auger-Aliassime shake hands after the match. Photograph: Geoff Burke/Reuters
The Russian, displaying full confidence in his swings, wasted little time in the fourth set, opening up a 4-0 lead that appeared to drain the energy and strength from Auger-Aliassime, who looked a shell of his normal self.
Khachanov went on to close out the encounter with a four-point hold, the final blow coming with a massive serve that Auger-Aliassime failed to return.
Up next for Khachanov, who has only reached two quarter-finals this year, will be either Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi or Peruvian 32nd seed Ignacio Buse.