The miracle did not happen: Khachanov lost to Ruud in the US Open semi-finals

Karen Khachanov failed to reach the final of the US Open, losing in four sets to Kasper Ruud - 6:7 (5:7), 2:6, 7:5, 2:6.

Nevertheless, for the 26-year-old Russian, the current performance is the best in his career at the Grand Slam tournaments.

Previously, he only reached the quarter-finals at Rolland Garros 2019 and Wimbledon 2021.

According to the results of the tournament, the athlete will rise to the top 20 in the updated ATP ranking.

Of course, the Norwegian was considered the favorite of the meeting.

He was seeded at a higher number (7 vs. 27) and has shown more solid results this season.

Ruud has three titles on his account, as well as reaching the final of the French Open, while Khachanov only once got to the decisive match - at the ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide.

The Norwegian and the Russian met only once in their careers - at the Masters in Rome in 2020, and then Kasper won in three sets.

Many experts agreed that this time it would be extremely difficult for Khachanov to beat the seventh racket of the world.

“Khachanov is doing wonders at this US Open.

For Karen, his first career Grand Slam semifinal is a huge success.

Ruud will be incredibly difficult.

I can’t imagine how after such a marathon he will play in the semi-finals, in what condition.

Although Karen has time to recover.

Maybe he'll get ready and come out in good condition.

But it will be a miracle for me if Khachanov beats Ruud and makes it to the final,” Andrey Chesnokov said about this.

However, despite the difference in ratings, the bookmakers did not highly appreciate the probability of the Norwegian's triumph.

The coefficient for his victory was 1.47 against 2.70.

Probably, a certain degree of doubt in the result was based on the fact that until this season on hard he did not show outstanding results.

The Roland Garros finalist was considered a clay master, and his maximum on artificial turf majors is the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2021.

Yes, and he got very modest opponents in the current tournament, including Kyle Edmund from the seventh hundred of the rating and lucky loser Corentin Moutet (112th place).

Pretty patted the nerves of the Norwegian Tommy Paul, the match with which stretched for five games, and the only exemplary meeting before the semi-final Ruud held with Mateo Berrettini.

Khachanov, on the other hand, got much more serious opponents - all from the first hundred of the rating.

In the fourth round, he faced No. 13 Pablo Carreno-Busta, and in the quarterfinals he beat Wimbledon 2022 finalist Nick Kyrgios, who did not enter the top 20 only because the ATP stripped the London tournament of ranking points.

For Khachanov, this victory was extremely valuable.

“I am very proud of myself.

I was collected from the very beginning to the end.

I would like to win the next match.

The further you go, the more expectations.

I have nothing to lose, ”said the Russian after the meeting.

But the Norwegian, whatever one may say, experienced additional pressure on the eve of the semi-final match, since at stake for him was not only the first exit to the final of the Grand Slam tournament, but also the title of the first racket of the world.

He could guarantee himself in the event of a victory over Khachanov and the defeat of Carlos Alcaras in the second semi-final with Francis Tiafoe.

The Spaniard, however, did not present such a gift to Casper, and now they will have to determine the fate of the first line of the rating in a face-to-face meeting.  

The beginning of the reporting meeting was left to Ruud.

First, the Norwegian took his pitch, and then made a break and led 2-0.

But Khachanov in the next game took the opponent's serve to zero, and then restored equality in the set.

In the future, tennis players exchanged breaks again, and the game turned into a tie-break.

In the extra game, the Norwegian won the first two rallies - one on his serve, one on someone else's - and that was enough for him to bring the set to victory.

Especially offensive for the Russian was the last draw, in which the opponents made a total of 55 strokes.

Karen was active, sent the ball to one part of the court, then to another, but Kasper always answered, and just as sharply.

Khachanov was the first to make a mistake, sending the ball from the forehand into the net.

By the way, this shootout was a record longest for the US Open - since 1999, the achievement belonged to Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who made 51 hits for two.

The second party, a native of Moscow, frankly failed.

Karen's percentage of hits with the first ball fell, and he made almost twice as many unforced errors as the opponent - 11 against 2. The logical result of the set was a defeat with a score of 2:6.

In the third set, the Russian changed, and the fight unfolded with renewed vigor.

He had a chance to make a break with the score 2:1, but the Norwegian gave an almost perfect serve.

However, the Russian only increased the pace: he twice won games on his pitch to zero, and at the reception he put serious pressure on the opponent.

In the end, Ruud faltered and lost the pitch, and with it the game - 5:7.

At the beginning of the fourth set, Khachanov, apparently, was in euphoria from the previous success and made a number of rash actions, which almost led to the loss of the first game.

It was possible to save him only due to the most powerful innings.

Ruud, in turn, clearly believing that the opponent's level of concentration had fallen, did not fail to take advantage of this and made two breaks in a row.

Often, the Norwegian was just lucky and the ball landed on the court after the most hopeless, as it seemed, blows.

But fortune, on the contrary, turned away from Khachanov too often.

Despite the score, it cannot be said that the domestic tennis player had a weak match: he fought with dignity, but the opponent simply turned out to be stronger.

“I think we were both a little nervous at the beginning, so we exchanged breaks a few times.

But keep in mind that this match is probably the most important in the career of both of us.

Of course, it was a little nervous, but I was lucky to win the first set, and it gave me the opportunity to calm down a bit.

I played impressively in the second game, and Karen improved in the third.

The score went back and forth, like in five-set matches, but now I'm just happy, ”Ruud said in an interview on the court.

In turn, Khachanov shared that he felt very tired by the end of the tournament, and especially after two matches, where he played five games each.

“I'm really proud to have made it to the US Open semi-finals.

And it was very close to the final.

I thought about the trophy, dreamed of picking it up.

I don't like to talk too much and go too far - I lost today.

It shows me the level at which I play, so I take everything in a positive light.

I have to look ahead with a clear head and just not stop, but keep working.

Work and believe that one day I will lift this trophy, ”concluded the tennis player.