Karen Khachanov

Nick Kyrgios's run at the US Open title came to an agonising end as Karen Khachanov edged out the Australian after five sets at Flushing Meadows.

That proved enough, so soundly did the Australian serve for the rest of the set to level the match. Khachanov saved two break points in the opening game of the third set. The Australian called for medical treatment on the niggle that was bothering him and started the second set in sharper fashion, snaring a break to lead 2-1. The first set was not quite a case of blink and you missed it. This was the type of tennis officials once feared would become commonplace until measures were put in place to slow the pace a little. And the same reach came to the fore when Khachanov, whose forehand technique resembles “The Crane” kick deployed by Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid, whipped one up the line that proved too heavy for Kyrgios to handle on set point. Kygrios had started the match a heavy favourite following his dismantling of Khachanov’s compatriot Daniil Medvedev, the defending champion. When they played at Melbourne Park in 2020, the final four sets of another thriller won by Kyrgios ended in tiebreakers. The favourite for the US Open title after the exit of Rafael Nadal, the Australian looked finally to have found his rhythm in what proved a moody yet electric quarter-final on Tuesday night at Flushing Meadows. Deep in the third set of a tight encounter at four games-all, two break points arose against the rangy Russian who played superbly to produce his career-best performance in a grand slam. On the second of those points, Kyrgios worked into position to punish a forehand. As gallant as the Australian was when edged 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4 by Karen Khachanov at the US Open, one wonders whether such a golden chance will ever come again.