Khachanov Stuns Auger-Aliassime at US Open
Karen Khachanov walked off court with a clenched fist and a quiet smile, the kind a player wears when he knows he’s just ripped a hole in a Grand Slam draw.
The unseeded Russian recovered from a set down to knock out third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round of the US Open, winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2 6-2 and adding another heavyweight name to a tournament already stripped of Novak Djokovic.
For a while, it looked like business as usual for Auger-Aliassime in New York. A two-time finalist at Flushing Meadows, the Canadian edged a tight, nervy first set, hanging on in the tie-break as Khachanov’s forehand began to warm up but not quite burn through.
Auger-Aliassime’s serve bailed him out early. He saved pressure points, mixed in a few bold first-strike forehands and did just enough to sneak the opener 7-6, taking the breaker 7-5. It felt like the kind of set top seeds survive before they settle into their groove.
Instead, it was the spark Khachanov needed.
The 30-year-old raised his level sharply in the second set. He started stepping inside the baseline, hammering returns and pinning Auger-Aliassime into the corners. The Russian’s backhand down the line, so often a barometer of his confidence, began to bite. Winners started flashing past the Canadian, especially off short, mid-court balls.
The pressure told on Auger-Aliassime’s game. Unforced errors crept in, then multiplied. Forehands drifted long, backhands floated wide, and with every loose swing Khachanov grew more assured. The Russian broke, protected his own serve with authority, and levelled the match with a 6-3 set that shifted the mood around the court.
One-Sided Contest
From there, the contest turned one-sided.
Auger-Aliassime, who reached the quarter-finals at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros this season but withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal with a back injury, looked increasingly hampered and flat-footed in the rallies. Whether the back flared up or the physical toll of recent months caught up with him, his movement dulled and his shot selection frayed.
Khachanov didn’t hesitate. He drove the ball relentlessly into the corners, especially targeting the Canadian’s forehand wing. The down-the-line strikes that had teased in the first set now landed with ruthless precision. The third set raced away 6-2, the Russian breaking twice and barely looking back.
By the fourth, the pattern was set. Auger-Aliassime fought, but the resistance felt more symbolic than threatening. His serve lost its bite, his legs looked heavy, and the rallies belonged almost entirely to Khachanov. Another 6-2 set, another pair of breaks, and the third seed’s campaign ended with a whimper rather than a charge.
“Maybe he had some physical issues,” Khachanov said afterwards. “It’s part of our sport, it’s part of tennis. I’m super happy to get this win.”
The result lands just a day after 24-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic crashed out in the first round, leaving the men’s draw suddenly stripped of two of its biggest names before the end of week one.
For Khachanov, 30 and unseeded, this is the kind of victory that can ignite a fortnight. For Auger-Aliassime, still chasing his first major title after another promising season, it raises a sharper question: how many more chances like this will he get at Flushing Meadows before the window starts to close?
