Karen Khachanov has stormed his way to the Canadian Open final after defeating Alexander Zverev.
Khachanov came into the contest as the underdog against the number one seed. However, he demonstrated his innate grit and determination to win the contest on a match-deciding third-set tiebreak.
Khachanov’s last ATP Masters 1000 final came in 2018, when he won the Paris Masters.
As per OptaAce, Khachanov now holds the longest gap of any player between two ATP Masters 1000 finals, at six years and 276 days.
The Russian’s victory over Zverev also broke an undesired record held by the Russian, which had lasted for the entirety of his career.
Karen Khachanov’s first win against a number one seed
Karen Khachanov achieved something for the first time in his career on Thursday night.
As per OptaAce, Karen Khachanov has defeated the top seed at an ATP-level event for the first time in his career.
The 29-year-old had failed to beat the top seed at an event on 18 previous occasions.
Despite being broken to love to concede the second set, the Russian held his nerve against Zverev, eventually winning the contest 6-3 4-6 7-6.
Khachanov faces American Ben Shelton in the Canadian Open final. Shelton, 22, defeated compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-3 on Thursday night.
The pair have met once before on the ATP Tour, at the 2025 Indian Wells event in California, USA.
Ben Shelton defeated Karen Khachanov in their only previous meeting
Earlier this year, Karen Khachanov and Ben Shelton met for the first time on the ATP Tour.
Khachanov had defeated Czechia’s Jakub Mensik in his opening match, while Shelton had comfortably dispatched Mariano Navone.
On this occasion, it was Shelton who came out on top against Khachanov in the third round, winning the contest 6-3 7-5. The American went on to defeat compatriot Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round, before losing to Jack Draper in the quarter-finals.
Five months later, the pair will do battle again. Shelton will be hoping to lift his first Masters 1000 crown, while Khachanov will look to add to his Paris Masters triumph.
