Karen Khachanov produced the biggest surprise of the US Open so far on Thursday, dumping ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime out of the tournament in the second round with a hard-fought four-set victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The Russian, ranked 50th in the world, won 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2 6-2 against a Canadian who had been widely regarded as a genuine contender for the men's title following his run to the semifinals in New York last year. Auger-Aliassime's exit means he is now the highest-ranked seed eliminated at this year's edition of the tournament.
Despite arriving in New York with modest form, having lost the opening match in each of his three tune-up events before the Slam, Khachanov delivered a composed and increasingly dominant display as the contest progressed. His opponent, by contrast, appeared to fade physically as the match went on, struggling to sustain the level he had shown early.
The opening set looked to be heading Auger-Aliassime's way after he broke to lead 3-0, but a sudden run of unforced errors allowed Khachanov to claw his way back into contention. The Russian leveled at 4-4 and then held serve twice at love to stay alive in the set, eventually forcing a tiebreak. Auger-Aliassime edged that shootout 7-5 after Khachanov sent a backhand long while scrambling to retrieve a volley.
From there, however, the match swung decisively in Khachanov's favor. He raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never relinquished control, sealing it on serve after recovering from 15-40 down. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Khachanov breaking at love to move 4-1 ahead before closing it out comfortably.
By the fourth set, Auger-Aliassime's energy had visibly drained. Khachanov surged to a 4-0 lead and looked increasingly assured, eventually sealing the win with a dominant service game capped by an unreturnable serve.
The victory gave Khachanov his second career top-10 win at a Grand Slam and marked the first time in a single calendar year that he has reached the third round of all four majors. A US Open semifinalist back in 2022, he has otherwise had a modest season, reaching only two quarterfinals prior to this run.
Speaking after the match, Khachanov suggested his opponent may have been dealing with a physical issue. "I saw that maybe he had some physical issues... it's part of our sport. I wish him to feel better, speedy recovery if he's injured, I don't know," he said. He added, "What I can say from my side is I tried to give my best performance, fighting, fighting. I'm super happy to get this win."
Statistically, Khachanov's control of the match was reflected in his ability to break Auger-Aliassime's serve on seven occasions, while saving seven of the nine break points he faced himself — a testament to his composure at key moments despite dropping the opener.
The result leaves Auger-Aliassime's US Open campaign over far earlier than many had predicted, denying him the chance to build on last year's deep run. For Khachanov, the win sets up a third-round meeting with either Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi or Peruvian 32nd seed Ignacio Buse, as he looks to continue his surprising resurgence in New York.
Based on reporting from Independent Football and Reuters.