NEW YORK CITY: They are the same height, almost the same age, and go back a long way, both have spent years knocking on the door of Grand Slam success. Standing at 6 ft 6’, there’s little to separate Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov physically when they meet in the US Open semi-finals on Friday. But the German arrives as the top seed, Olympic gold medallist and now a major champion, while Khachanov, the world No. 50, is chasing a first Slam final.Zverev, 29, has already been here before. He reached the US Open final in 2020 and came within two points of the title before Dominic Thiem turned the match around in a five-set battle. Almost four years later, he reached the final at Roland Garros and followed it up with another Grand Slam final at Melbourne Park in 2025, but was still waiting for his first Slam crown. The lanky German finally flipped the script in Paris in June, claiming his maiden Slam title before reaching the final again at Wimbledon.The top seed booked his place in the last four with a commanding 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 win over Botic van de Zandschulp. It is his 13th Grand Slam semi-final, second only among active men to Novak Djokovic’s 55, and his 51st match win of the season, the most on the ATP Tour.The first of the last-four clashes on Friday will be an all-American affair, world No.9 Ben Shelton, the conqueror of Carlos Alcaraz, will play the 12th ranked Frances Tiafoe, with Shelton leading the head-to-head 3-1. Both men are looking to make their first major final.For Khachanov, the road back to the last four has been considerably more arduous. The 30-year-old arrived in New York ranked No. 50 after going 16-18 through the first eight months of the season, his lowest ranking since May 2017. He has since beaten American Learner Tien in five sets and reached the semi-finals when Alexander Blockx retired with an upper-body injury while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2.It is the Russian’s third Grand Slam semi-final and his second in New York, after his run to the last four in 2022. He also reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 2023. But the next step has remained elusive.“Every Grand Slam, every big stage, you want to do well. This is what we’ve been dreaming of as a kid, you know, to play on the further stages of this event, that one day it can come,” Khachanov said. “That’s why I think it’s a little bit a moment of appreciation, and at the same time, ambition and motivation for what’s coming next.”What comes next is an opponent who has had the better of him over the years.Zverev leads their head-to-head 6-3, including his victory over Khachanov in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match. Khachanov did, however, beat him in Canada last year, a win that came after several defeats to the German.“He is where he is, because he deserves to be there,” Khachanov said. “He’s been in top 5 for so many years. This year he also took a step forward. He won his first Grand Slam. He’s in hot form.”The numbers tell only part of the story. Both men can generate huge pace from the baseline, both possess formidable serves and neither is likely to give ground easily. Khachanov knows that against Zverev, patience will be as important as power.“I will have to come up with the best form,” he said. “I will have to have patience.”Zverev and Khachanov go back a long time to their junior days.“People don’t see from the outside, but he’s somebody that works extremely hard. He’s on the practice courts more than most people. He’s always searching for solutions. He’s always, you know, trying to find new ways to get better,” Zverev said of Khachanov, one of the more popular figures in the locker-room. “I have massive respect for him. I hope it’s going to be a great battle.”For Zverev, the prize is another chance to finish what he started in New York six years ago. For Khachanov, it is an opportunity to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time.Meanwhile in the girls doubles second round, Maaya and Antonina Sushkova of Ukraine upset the fifth-seeded combine, Czechs Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajickova on 2-6, 6-2, 10-7.
