Zverev downs Khachanov to reach US Open final, closes in on second Grand Slam title

NEW YORK, Sept 11 - Alexander Zverev booked his place in the U.S. Open final on Friday, beating Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6(7) 7-6(6) to move a step closer to a second Grand Slam title.

The French Open champion had been pushed to five sets in each of his opening two rounds but has now won four straight matches without dropping a set, as he reached his third consecutive major final.

The victory also sends him to his second title decider at Flushing Meadows, after finishing runner-up in 2020 to Dominic Thiem.

Zverev struck first to take the opening set before carrying that momentum into the second with an early break.

Khachanov, however, found his range and broke back, ending Zverev's run of 37 consecutive service games without being broken. The unseeded Russian then threatened to swing the match in a gripping tiebreak.

The German held his nerve to close it out after a 14-minute breaker, aided by Khachanov's errors at the crucial moments.

The third set followed a similar pattern, with Khachanov taking a brief lead in the tiebreak before Zverev again fought back to seal his seventh win in 10 meetings against the Russian.

Zverev, who now boasts a 24-2 record in Grand Slam matches this season, will face the winner of the all-American semi-final between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton in Sunday's title match. REUTERS