Carlos Alcaraz is having a remarkable breakthrough season, and he has a chance to put an exclamation point on it after defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 in Friday's US Open semi-final.
It will be 19-year-old Alcaraz's first appearance in a grand slam final, and with a win against Casper Ruud he will also become the youngest world number one in men's tennis history, beating out Lleyton Hewitt (20 years and nine months old) by over a year.
In a tight first set where both players failed to capitalise on their break point opportunities, Tiafoe saved an Alcaraz set point to force the tiebreaker, where he would finally secure the opening frame with the fourth set point of his own.
With such fine margins deciding the outcomes, some sloppy serving would flip the script in the second set. After Tiafoe had no double faults in the first and Alcaraz had three, it was Alcaraz cleaning things up to post zero for the rest of the match.
Meanwhile, Tiafoe had a pair of costly double faults in the second, which ultimately led to the only break in the set, as Alcaraz converted one of his four opportunities, while saving the three break points he faced.
Tiafoe's vaunted serve continued to meltdown in the third frame, dropping his first-serve accuracy from 67 per cent to 30 per cent, which led to him winning just 35 per cent (seven-of-20) of his service points as Alcaraz lifted.
Alcaraz needed only 34 minutes to wrap up the third set, thanks in large part to Tiafoe committing 12 unforced errors with only six winners, as the Spaniard finished the set with just one ace and four winners.
As the double faults and unforced errors faded away, Tiafoe rediscovered the kind of form and fight that saw him stylishly handle the challenge of Rafael Nadal earlier this week. Tiafoe and Alcaraz traded breaks in four consecutive games in the fourth set, with the American having to save a match point to force another tiebreaker where he would prevail.
But Alcaraz would not be denied, grabbing a crucial break in the opening game of the fifth set, and when Tiafoe snatched it back, his joy was short-lived as Alcaraz re-broke in the very next game to-love, and once more to finish the match.
Data Slam: Alcaraz way ahead of schedule
If he defeats Ruud in the final, Alcaraz will become the second-youngest men's US Open champion ever at 19 years and four months old, trailing only Pete Sampras (19 years, 28 days).
Both the third and fourth-youngest champions – Oliver Campbell (19 years, six months) and Richard Sears (19 years, 10 months) – won their titles in the late-1800s.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Alcaraz - 6/3
Tiafoe - 15/6
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Alcaraz - 59/37
Tiafoe - 51/52
BREAK POINTS WON
Alcaraz - 9/20
Tiafoe - 3/7
Casper Ruud is through to his second career grand slam final after emerging triumphant 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 5-7 6-2 in Friday's semi-final against Karen Khachanov.
Ruud, 23, will be searching for his first major title after losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open decider in June, and he will face the winner between Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe.
By defeating Khachanov, Ruud has now won 13 of his past 15 matches, and while it is usually his return game that dictates his effectiveness, against the Russian it was about his ability to win points on serve.
A tight first set saw the two players exchange breaks, securing two each before Ruud took the only point against serve in the tie-break
Whatever he figured out in the breaker carried into the second set, as he did not drop a single point (16-of-16) while serving in the frame. In a near-perfect set, Ruud tallied 12 winners and two unforced errors, while Khachanov shot himself in the foot with three double faults.
With his back to the wall, Khachanov responded well in the third, finding his range with his ground strokes to post 15 winners and four unforced errors, while winning 83 per cent (24-of-29) of his service points.
But that would be his last piece of resistance before Ruud took over down the stretch, rattling off five consecutive games in the fourth set to turn a 0-1 deficit into a 5-1 lead, serving it out to love.
Data Slam: Ruud reaches new heights
Ruud is guaranteed to leave the US Open with a new career-high ranking, and with a win in the final, he will become world number one first the first time.
The only player with a chance to overtake him this week in the race for the number one spot is Alcaraz.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Ruud – 52/34
Khachanov – 43/39
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Ruud – 10/1
Khachanov – 15/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Ruud – 6/13
Khachanov – 3/5
Iga Swiatek is relishing what she expects to be "a great battle" with Ons Jabeur in the US Open final.
The world number one came from behind to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-1 6-4 in Thursday's semi-final to set up a shot at a third grand slam title.
Swiatek will now face Tunisia's Jabeur, who is yet to win a major and suffered defeat in this year's Wimbledon final.
Asked about the task of taking on the world number five in Saturday's showpiece, Swiatek said: "There are a lot of challenges because she's a really solid player and she's second in the race right now.
"You know, Wimbledon final. She didn't get [ranking] points for that, but it shows how much progress she has made.
"She has a different game style than most of the players. She has a great touch. All these things mixed up... she's just a tough opponent.
"That's why probably our matches are always kind of physical and really tight.
"She's just a tough opponent and fully deserves to be in the final. I think it's going to be a great battle."
The Pole conceded she was still lacking trust in her ability on hard courts, with clay her favoured surface, as evidenced by two French Open titles.
But she is delighted to have overcome that in order to push on to a maiden final at Flushing Meadows.
"I just feel like the work that I did pays off," she said. "I feel like even though I lost in Toronto and Cincinnati pretty early, it gives you a chance to prepare and you have to be ready during that time to actually use that.
"I'm pretty happy that on this tournament I was fresh mentally to actually use the chances. I'm pretty happy that even though maybe I wasn't feeling 100 per cent perfectly from the beginning of the tournament, I was still able to get better and better and to play a really solid game."
From her past 50 matches, Swiatek has a record of 46-4, and coming into this tournament she had 8605 ranking points – with second-placed Anett Kontaveit down at 4360.
She is also the first number one seed to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams did it back in 2014, snapping the equal-longest drought on that front at any grand slam in the Open Era.
Ons Jabeur feels she is more prepared emotionally to handle the task of a grand slam final the second time around, after being upset in the Wimbledon final earlier this year.
Jabeur defeated Caroline Garcia in Thursday's semi-final, needing only 67 minutes to storm through 6-1 6-3 to reach her second consecutive grand slam decider.
Her loss to Elena Rybakina in July's Wimbledon final was her first time making it to the final match of a grand slam, but after winning the first set in that match, Jabeur fell apart, losing the next two sets 6-2 6-2.
Speaking to the media after earning another chance at a major title, the 28-year-old said she is more focused this time around after being almost starstruck at Wimbledon.
"It feels more real [this time], to be honest with you," she said. "At Wimbledon I was kind of just living the dream, and I couldn't believe it.
"Even just after the match [today], I was just going to do my thing, not realising it was an amazing achievement already… I hope I'm getting used to it.
"I'm just happy about the fact that I backed up the results in Wimbledon and people are not really surprised I'm in the finals… now maybe I'll know what to do in the final."
Touching on what lessons she learned from that experience, she said she feels she will not be overwhelmed if she is faced with the prospect of being one set away from a grand slam.
"From Wimbledon, just, you know, a lot of emotions," she said. "Just going to that final was really tough for me, especially the second set. I think I handled things very well coming to the court and playing the first set.
"But then I feel like this final, I'm going full in, I'm going for everything. Definitely also learning from Rome's final [lost to Iga Swiatek], Madrid [defeated Jessica Pegula] and other ones.
"I feel very positive about this one. You know, the most important thing is not to regret, because I'm going to give it all on this one. Even if this one is not going to happen, I'm very sure that another one will come."
When asked if her preparation has changed at all from Wimbledon to now, she said minor tweaks to her mindset are the key.
"Will I do things differently? Probably yes," she said. "Some things maybe in the match, for sure, but I think I'm definitely going to think about [Wimbledon] and think about how I played, and the emotions and my focus more than tactically.
"At certain times I think I played not the right way in the final, so it didn't help me much. But always, it's always nice to stick with the same plan.
"You know, when you get stressed sometimes, you just don't know how to think. I think that I'm going to use [that experience] very well… I think it's going to be great."
Ons Jabeur was wildly impressive in her 6-1 6-3 victory over the red-hot Caroline Garcia in the US Open semi-final on Thursday, getting the job done in just 67 minutes.
Jabeur, the world number five, was dominant in the opening set, winning 75 per cent of her service points and 61 per cent of her return points, allowing no break point opportunities while taking all three of her own chances to break.
She wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes, and after an even start to the second frame, Jabeur capitalised on her first and only break point chance to grab the decisive lead.
Tunisia's best ever tennis export served things out in style, finishing the match without Garcia ever seeing a break point chance.
It ends a remarkable run for Garcia, who entered the contest on a 13-match winning streak, with 31 wins from her past 35. After dominating Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, Garcia became the betting favourite to win the tournament.
For Jabeur, it continues a career-best season after reaching her first ever grand slam final at Wimbledon, and her ranking will be bumped up to number two in the world when it next updates.
She will play the winner between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in the decider.
Data Slam: Jabeur makes more history for African tennis
Jabeur is the first African, Arab or Tunisian woman to ever reach the US Open final, after also accomplishing that feat at Wimbledon.
Through six matches at this tournament, she has only lost one set – in the third round against American Shelby Rogers.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Jabeur – 21/15
Garcia – 12/23
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Jabeur – 8/2
Garcia – 2/0
BREAK POINTS WON
Jabeur – 4/4
Garcia – 0/0
Carlos Alcaraz believes New York provides a perfect stage for the first grand slam semi-final of his career after the Spanish teenager edged a late-night thriller with Jannik Sinner.
In the last of the men's singles quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz prevailed in the latest finish on record at the tournament, sealing a 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (0-7) 7-5 6-3 victory at 02:50 local time on Thursday.
Sinner was left crestfallen, saying the defeat was in his "top list" and would hurt "for quite a while". He had served for the match in the fourth set but could not see it out, the 21-year-old seeing Alcaraz exact revenge for defeat in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
At the age of 19, Alcaraz is leading the men's tour for wins this season, one short of reaching 50 for the year, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowds have taken him to their hearts.
He is the youngest men's grand slam singles semi-finalist since Rafael Nadal marched to the 2005 French Open title, and the youngest man to reach the last four at the US Open since Pete Sampras in 1990, also on a run to the trophy.
The clash with Sinner was an epic that spanned five hours and 15 minutes, yet Alcaraz said afterwards: "During the whole match, I feel great physically.
"I feel great to be in my first semi-final in a grand slam. I feel better reaching the semi-final here in the US Open. This tournament is amazing. The crowd is amazing, I would say the best in the world.
"The energy I receive in this court at 3am, it was unbelievable. Probably in other tournaments, other places, everybody would have gone to their house to rest. But they keep in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable.
"I feel great to have a semi-final here in the US Open."
Frances Tiafoe awaits him, after the American took down Andrey Rublev in straight sets on Wednesday, following up his fourth-round win over Rafael Nadal with another accomplished display. The crowd will likely have split allegiances for that semi-final on Friday.
"It's going to be really, really tough," said Alcaraz. "Everybody knows the level of Frances. He has beaten Rafa Nadal, Rublev in three sets. He's playing unbelievable right now, high in confidence.
"He loves the crowd. He loves this court. I'm going to have to play my best. But right now I'm thinking about this match. I'm enjoying this moment. I have a day of rest to think about the semi-final."
Alcaraz also said the possibility of becoming world number one did not cross his mind during the Sinner battle. He would hit the top spot by winning the title, and would also be assured of number one by reaching the final if Casper Ruud loses to Karen Khachanov in the other semi-final.
Sinner can only dream of reaching such heights for now, although his time may come.
He has a 9-20 losing record against top-10 opponents after this setback, but wins over Alcaraz at Wimbledon and later at a smaller event in Umag, Croatia, suggest his game is developing nicely.
The Italian had a strong tournament in New York but was left with regrets after failing to see this one through.
"I've had some tough losses, for sure. This is in the top list," Sinner said. "I think this one will hurt for quite a while.
"But tomorrow I wake up, or today I wake up, trying to somehow take only the positives, trying to take away the other part.
"But it's tough, for sure. In my next tournament I will play Davis Cup. Before, I want to practise again in the best possible way, trying to improve. Maybe next time I can win this, no?"
Carlos Alcaraz survived a Jannik Sinner match point before going on to clinch his maiden grand slam semi-final berth with an epic five-set victory in more than five hours at the US Open.
The Spanish third seed triumphed 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (0-7) 7-5 6-3 in the latest-ever finish at the US Open, officially ending at 2:50am Thursday local time.
The match was within nine minutes of being the longest ever in US Open history, the record held by Michael Chang and Stefan Edberg from 1992 of five hours and 26 minutes.
The 19-year-old fought back from a Sinner match point in the fourth set, rallying to force a fifth, where he broke the Italian 11th seed in the eighth game before serving it out for victory.
Alcaraz blew opportunities too, including five set points in the second set, while he failed to serve out the third set before Sinner won the tie-break 7-0 to take all the momentum into the fourth.
But the emerging Alcaraz showcased his doggedness even after falling a break behind in the fourth, to set up a semi-final date against 22nd seed Frances Tiafoe, who has beaten Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal in his past two matches.
The win also means Alcaraz is a step closer to claiming the world number one ranking for the first time, which will be achieved if he wins the title, or even if he makes the final and fifth seed Casper Ruud does not.
Data slam: Alcaraz cannot help Nadal comparisons
Alcaraz, 19, is not fond of comparisons to compatriot Rafael Nadal, but his victory means he becomes the youngest grand slam semi-finalist since the 22-time major winner in 2005.
Little separated Alcaraz and Sinner who will both have won huge admiration, but the Italian's 63 unforced errors compared to the Spaniard's 38 was an outlier.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Alcaraz – 5/5
Sinner – 8/11
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Alcaraz – 58/38
Sinner – 61/63
BREAK POINTS WON
Alcaraz – 11/26
Sinner – 7/16
Iga Swiatek may be the world number one and have had a 37-match winning streak this year but says she is surprised to reach this week's US Open semi-finals.
Swiatek qualified for her third grand slam semi-final for the season with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory over American eighth seed Jessica Pegula in one hour and 53 minutes on Wednesday.
The 2022 French Open champion and 2022 Australian Open semi-finalist became the first women's top seed to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2016.
The victory comes after Swiatek's 37-match winning streak was ended in the third round at Wimbledon in June by Alize Cornet, winning four out of seven matches at three tournaments following that as the WTA Tour moved to hard courts in the lead-up to the US Open.
Swiatek expressed her surprise at making the last four during her on-court interview after the match and explained that, following early losses in the lead-up tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto.
"Looking logically at the last tournaments, I just didn't know if this one is going to be possible for me to be consistent and to win so many matches in a row," Swiatek told reporters.
"I feel like I've been playing better and better every week since the start of this swing. So it surprised me because after the losses that I had in Toronto and Cincinnati, I just wasn't expecting to play so well here.
"It gave me actually a lot because I could be kind of an underdog again, not maybe fully, but just not expect from myself that I'm going to win everything right now."
The Pole said her game "clicked" against Pegula, hitting 22 winners compared to the American's 14, winning 43-of-71 points on return.
"I'm pretty proud of it because I feel like I'm playing better and better every match," she said.
"Jessie was a tough opponent today, for sure. Second set was really tight. We both were fighting till the last point. I'm proud of myself that I could be the one to win the last one."
Swiatek will take on Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, while Pegula bows out having reached the quarter-finals at three of the four majors this year.
"I go back and forth, I should be positive," Pegula said. "At the same time I'm like, three quarterfinals. Sorry, but it sucks. It sucks.
"I wish I could have done it here at my home slam, but I guess not. I wish I didn't have to play Iga every quarter-final or Ash Barty, which seem to be the two people that don't really lose that often. So it just sucks.
"I had a great year at the slams. I know there's still some tournaments left. I'm a little deflated right now. I'm not real happy. It just sucks to lose. I just wish it would have been different tonight."
World number one Iga Swiatek has continued her commanding 2022 season with a straight-sets victory over eighth seed Jessica Pegula securing her spot in the US Open semi-finals for the first time.
The Pole, who won this year's French Open and went on a 37-match winning streak until her third-round Wimbledon defeat, triumphed 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in one hour and 53 minutes in a match full of breaks.
Swiatek's victory, her 55th of the season, clinched a semi-final date with sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka, who fell in the last four at last year's US Open.
The 21-year-old became the first women's top seed to reach the US Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2016, while she is the only previous grand slam winner remaining in the draw.
In a match that was far from a classic, Swiatek fought back from a break down in the first set to take the advantage, before a second frame that included 10 breaks, with the Pole edging home in a tie-break.
Pegula broke Swiatek in the fifth game to lead 3-2 in the first set but the Pole responded emphatically, going on a sequence where she won 14 of 15 points to secure the set.
Swiatek appeared ready to run away with the match when she immediately broke the American in the first game of the second set but that merely set the tone, with both players struggling to hold on serve.
The world number one served twice for the match but faltered, forcing a tie-break which the Pole won, converting her first match poinit.
Data slam: Breaks galore in tense battle
Holding serve proved challenging in a tense match, with 13 games broken out of the 21 played, including 10 of those coming in the second set. Swiatek had broken serve 57 per cent of her return games during the US Open coming in.
Both players also had more unforced errors than winners, with Swiatek's 21 winners ultimately proving the difference in class. It was Swiatek's eighth win over a top-10 opponent in a row in straight sets.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 1/3
Pegula – 1/3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 21/32
Pegula – 14/29
BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 7/11
Pegula – 6/10
Frances Tiafoe celebrated a "crazy" win after his defeat of Andrey Rublev saw him become the first American man to reach the US Open semi-finals in 16 years.
Tiafoe stunned Rafael Nadal on Monday and followed up that career-high by reaching the last four of a major for the first time on Wednesday.
Ninth seed Rublev, who has lost all six of his grand slam quarter-finals, stood in his way but Tiafoe prevailed 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-0) 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 24-year-old is the first male player from the United States to reach a semi-final at Flushing Meadows since Andy Roddick in 2006.
Roddick went on to reach the final that year, though fell short of winning a second US Open final as he lost to Roger Federer.
This time around, Tiafoe will face either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, who has a shot at becoming the new world number one.
"This is wild, this is crazy," world number 26 Tiafoe said after his win.
"I had the biggest win of my life 48 hours ago and coming out and getting another big win. Andrey's a hell of a player, and to back it up, that's huge. It's tough to turn the page, but I did and now I'm in the semis.
"I feel so at home on courts like this. This court is unbelievable. [The crowd] gets so far behind me, I want to play, I want to give my best. I always find a way somehow on this court, I always play some great tennis and I have been. Let's enjoy this, we've got two more."
Tiafoe might well be the only home hope left for the American crowd to back in New York come the end of play on Wednesday, with Jessica Pegula facing the daunting task of taking on world number one Iga Swiatek in the women's singles.
Aryna Sabalenka credited a greater awareness of what to expect from Karolina Pliskova for her US Open quarter-final victory.
Sabalenka and Pliskova went into Wednesday's match having split their four previous meetings.
Pliskova, though, had the last two, the Czech coming from a set down to beat Sabalenka in last year's Wimbledon semi-finals and also prevailing in the last four in Montreal in 2021.
But Sabalenka turned the tide this time around at Flushing Meadows, a blistering forehand return sealing a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) triumph and a place in a second successive US Open semi-final.
Sabalenka said in her on-court interview: "The last two matches, I don't want to say I didn't respect her and I didn't expect from her a great level, I was thinking ok I'm on the top I have to beat her and today I expect a great level, I expect the long rallies, I expect the tough match and I just tried to stay in this match as long as I can and just tried to make her work for it and should played really well and somehow I was able to handle this level and win this match."
Next up for Sabalenka will be either world number one Iga Swiatek or home hope Jessica Pegula.
And she knows either opponent will present a significant hurdle as Sabalenka seeks to reach a first grand slam final.
"It's a semi-final, it's going to be tough and I'm ready for it, I'm ready for another fight," she added.
"I think I just have to stay focused on myself and do whatever I can, do my best and be ready for a great battle."
Nick Kyrgios claims all tournaments other than grand slams are a "waste of time" following his US Open quarter-final exit to Karen Khachanov on Tuesday.
The in-form 2022 Wimbledon runner-up's run at Flushing Meadows, which included knocking out defending champion Daniil Medvedev, was ended by Khachanov 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4.
Kyrgios had been in career-best form, winning more matches than any other player on the ATP Tour since his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic, but will need to wait until January for another crack at a major, at his home Australian Open.
The 27-year-old has spoken about his renewed level of focus since reaching the Wimbledon final and said he was "devastated" by his US Open loss, smashing a racquet after the match.
"I honestly feel like s***," he said. "I feel like I've let so many people down.
"I feel like these four tournaments are the only ones that are ever going to matter. It's just like you got to start it all again. I have to wait until the Australian Open. It's just devastating. It's heart-breaking.
"I don't even really care about any other tournament. I feel like at the grand slams, now having success at a grand slam, it's just like no other tournament really matters.
"It's like you get better, you get worse, then at a grand slam none of it matters. You either win or lose. People don't really care if you got better on the day or you lost 6-4 in the fifth or played one of the best matches of the tournament. You lost.
"That's all people remember at a grand slam, whether you win or you lose. I think pretty much every other tournament during the year is a waste of time really. You should just run up and show up at a grand slam. That's what you're remembered by."
Kyrgios allayed concerns over a knee injury at the end of the first set that he said settled, stating that he started "flat" and felt Khachanov's serve was too good, particularly in key moments.
"All credit to Karen, he's a fighter. He's a warrior," he said.
"I thought he served really good today. Honestly probably the best server I played this tournament, to be honest, the way he was hitting his spots under pressure."
The triumph marks 29th seed Khachanov's first major semi-final having fallen in the quarter-finals at majors twice previously.
"It's like one more step forward," the Russian said. "I'm really, really happy I could do it.
"I had to face and to beat Nick, who is playing some of the best tennis again. It obviously was a tough match to approach. I made my first semi-final, so it's pretty simple in my head. I'm just really happy."
Karen Khachanov reached a grand slam semi-final for the first time as he ended Nick Kyrgios' US Open run in a five-set three-and-a-half-hour epic on Tuesday evening.
The 27th-seeded Russian, who had fallen in the quarters at the 2019 French Open and 2021 Wimbledon Championships, prevailed 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 over the Australian 23rd seed to set up a semi-final date with fifth seed Casper Ruud.
The result ended the run of Kyrgios who had won the most matches on the ATP Tour since losing July's Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic. Kyrgios had taken out reigning champion and top seed Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.
The 26-year-old Russian broke Kyrgios' serve in the 12th game of the first set with an exquisite lob clinching the frame where the Australian's second serve let him down.
Kyrgios responded to win the second set, despite a medical timeout for treatment on his left leg after exclaiming "I can't walk", breaking the Russian early and hitting 12-5 winners.
Khachanov claimed the third set in similar circumstances to the first, with Kyrgios failing to hold his serve in the 12th game, this time producing unforced errors in the key moments.
The two players traded breaks early in the fourth set but Kyrgios would force a fifth set after a dominant tie-break where he converted his second set point.
The Russian got an early break in the fifth set, while Kyrgios failed to convert break points in Khachanov's next two service games and he would not recover.
Data Slam: Khachanov cool under pressure
Little split these two players in an extremely tight quarter-final, with 31-30 aces edged by Kyrgios, but many of Khachanov's came at crucial moments under pressure.
Kyrgios' flamboyance and shot-making ability was on show, but his inability to convert break points, along with 58 unforced errors, ultimately proved the difference, taking two of nine.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kyrgios – 31/5
Khachanov – 30/3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kyrgios – 75/58
Khachanov – 62/31
BREAK POINTS WON
Kyrgios – 2/9
Khachanov – 4/8
Karen Khachanov reached a grand slam semi-final for the first time as he ended Nick Kyrgios' US Open run in a five-set three-and-a-half-hour epic on Tuesday evening.
The 27th-seeded Russian, who had fallen in the quarters at the 2019 French Open and 2021 Wimbledon Championships, prevailed 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 over the Australian 23rd seed.
The result ended the run of Kyrgios who had won the most matches on the ATP Tour since losing July's Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic. Kyrgios had taken out reigning champion and top seed Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.
The 26-year-old Russian broke Kyrgios' serve in the 12th game of the first set with an exquisite lob clinching the frame where the Australian's second serve let him down.
Kyrgios responded to win the second set, despite a medical timeout for treatment on his left leg after exclaiming "I can't walk", breaking the Russian early and hitting 12-5 winners.
Khachanov claimed the third set in similar circumstances to the first, with Kyrgios failing to hold his serve in the 12th game, this time producing unforced errors in the key moments.
The two players traded breaks early in the fourth set but Kyrgios would force a fifth set after a dominant tie-break where he converted his second set point.
The Russian got an early break in the fifth set, while Kyrgios failed to convert break points in Khachanov's next two service games and he would not recover.
Data Slam: Khachanov cool under pressure
Little split these two players in an extremely tight quarter-final, with 31-30 aces edged by Kyrgios, but many of Khachanov's came at crucial moments under pressure.
Kyrgios' flamboyance and shot-making ability was on show, but his inability to convert break points, along with 58 unforced errors, ultimately proved the difference, taking two of nine.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kyrgios – 31/5
Khachanov – 30/3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kyrgios – 75/58
Khachanov – 62/31
BREAK POINTS WON
Kyrgios – 2/9
Khachanov – 4/8
After once being considered one of the top young prospects in all of tennis, Caroline Garcia says she feels like she is finally prepared to handle everything that is required to deliver on the biggest stages.
In her toughest matchup of the tournament so far, the Frenchwoman was emphatic as she comfortably handled rising star Coco Gauff 6-3 6-4 in Tuesday's quarter-final.
Garcia, 28, shot onto the international stage when she was impressive before ultimately losing to Maria Sharapova back in 2011 when she was just 17 years old.
At the time, Andy Murray tweeted that she would be a future world number one, and she appeared to be on that path when she peaked at fourth in the world in 2018, before a couple of rough years had her residing outside of the top 50.
Now in career-best form, Garcia has 31 wins from her past 35 matches, including 13 wins in a row and six straight-sets victories on the trot.
Speaking to the media after her quarter-final triumph, Garcia said the long, winding journey to this point has only given her valuable experience.
"When it was 2011 after the Sharapova match, it was a lot of pressure coming from actually nowhere," she said. "I was 150, 200 in the world, 17 years old. My game was not ready.
"I was not able to play that consistent, this kind of level. The weeks after I went back trying to play the same level, but it was not possible for me.
"It was tough because people were expecting a lot. But the game, I was not ready for anything like that. It took me some time to come step-by-step to the top.
"End of 2017, 2018 was a great year, a lot of success. Yeah, I made some mistakes. We made some mistakes. I really hope and think we can learn from it.
"Now, it's a new year, trying to learn from every challenge. I think I've grown up a lot with all the challenges on and off court. Off court, it's very important to manage all of it."
Touching on what has clicked in her recent run, Garcia said she has figured out what works for her, which has simplified everything.
"I'm just trying to focus on my game, on what I like to do, and how is the best way for me to play tennis," she said.
"The path is very clear right now, which direction I have to go, under stress, under pressure. I'm just trying to follow this path. That's how we prepare with the team. We try to do the best we can in this direction.
"It was not that clear in the past. It was not that clear. I mean, I've always been very aggressive. I always try to put the pressure on the other one to be on the court.
"But I was younger… and now [I can] accept that it's actually the only way for me. So if I want to do good, I have to go that way. Yeah, now it's way more clear.
"Obviously with a lot of wins, I'm having fun playing. I can see so many things I can still improve, so it's a great challenge for our team."
Garcia will play world number five Ons Jabeur in the semi-final, with Jabeur winning both of their two previous matches since turning professional.
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