Karen Khachanov reaches US Open quarterfinal

Karen Khachanov reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Monday after coming from two sets to one down to beat Learner Tien 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round. The match at Louis Armstrong Stadium sent the 30-year-old Russian into the last eight in New York for the first time since his 2022 semifinal run. Tien, a 20-year-old American from Irvine, California, had pushed within a set of the biggest quarterfinal of his career before Khachanov took control in the fourth. Match statistics showed Khachanov converted 9 of 12 break points and won 81 of 110 first-serve points. ### How did Khachanov turn the match after falling behind? The third set ended with Tien ahead by two sets to one after taking the tiebreak 8-6, putting Khachanov on the edge of elimination. The Russian responded by winning the fourth set 6-1 and then closing the fifth 6-4, according to the official match scoreline. (tennis.com) The numbers shifted in the return games. Khachanov finished with a 75% conversion rate on break points, taking 9 of 12 chances, while Tien converted 5 of 14. Khachanov also won 22 of 48 points on Tien’s second serve, compared with Tien’s 24 of 51 on Khachanov’s second delivery. ### What did the result say about the matchup on paper? (tennis.com) Tien entered the match seeking his first U.S. Open quarterfinal in his fifth men’s singles main-draw appearance at Flushing Meadows. Khachanov arrived with deeper history in New York: Monday marked his 11th main-draw appearance, and the U.S. Open’s official preview noted that he had reached the semifinals in 2022. (tennis.com) The fourth-round meeting paired two players at different stages of their careers. Tien was described by the U.S. Open in its pre-match coverage as a 20-year-old left-hander from Irvine, while Khachanov was listed as a 30-year-old former world No. 8 making another run at a major. (usopen.org) ### Why was Tien such a live threat in this match? Tien had arrived in the fourth round after a five-set win over Jakub Mensik on Saturday night, a result the U.S. Open said extended his best run at his home Grand Slam. That match ended 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 and was played in Louis Armstrong Stadium with strong home support behind him. (usopen.org) Monday’s contest followed a similar pattern for long stretches. Tien took the second set, then edged the third-set tiebreak, and forced Khachanov to play from behind. But the American’s serve came under heavier pressure late; match statistics showed he saved only 3 of 12 break points. ### What does this run mean for Khachanov in New York? (usopen.org) Khachanov’s advance put him back into the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2022, when he went on to the semifinals before losing to Casper Ruud, according to the tournament’s preview of his match with Tien. The ATP Tour had also described Khachanov before the fourth round as a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist trying to turn around a difficult season in New York. (tennis.com) His route into the second week included a straight-sets first-round win and a second-round victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime, the ATP Tour said. By the start of the tournament, Khachanov was ranked No. 50 in singles on the U.S. Open site, while Tien was listed at No. 15 on the match page carried by Tennis.com. (usopen.org) ### Who does Khachanov face next? The ATP Tour’s U.S. Open draw lists Khachanov in the quarterfinal stage after his win over Tien on Sept. 7. The tournament in New York runs through Sept. 13, according to the ATP results page, with the men’s singles draw now reduced to the final eight. (atptour.com) (usopen.org)