Zverev beats Khachanov, reaches US Open final — SkimNews
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- Zverev beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in Friday's US Open semifinals, advancing to his third major final of 2026.
- Zverev will face the winner of No. 8 Ben Shelton vs. No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, both Americans seeking their first Grand Slam final.
- Zverev holds a 9-1 career record against Tiafoe and 5-0 against Shelton, while the U.S. men's Grand Slam title drought extends back to Andy Roddick's 2003 win.
- Zverev broke through at the French Open this year and reached the Wimbledon final (losing to Jannik Sinner), going 24-2 in Grand Slam matches in 2026.
- Zverev could become the fourth man in the Open era to win his first two major titles in the same year, joining Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1977), and Sinner (2024).
- Zverev carries the memory of his 2020 US Open final collapse, where he won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem before losing in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
- Khachanov erased two set points in the second-set tiebreaker and held 3-0 and 5-2 leads in the third-set tiebreaker before Zverev rallied to finish.
Why it matters: Zverev stands one win from joining Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas, and Jannik Sinner as the only Open-era men to win their first two majors in the same calendar year. His 9-1 record against Tiafoe and 5-0 mark against Shelton make him a heavy Sunday favorite, and a victory would extend the U.S. men's Grand Slam drought past 23 years since Roddick's 2003 title.
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