Zverev reaches US Open final after rallying from ‘pointless’ start

Alexander Zverev powered into his second US Open final on Friday, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) in straight sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure his third consecutive Grand Slam final appearance this season.reuters+1

The top-seeded German, 29, will face either eighth-seeded Ben Shelton or 11th-seeded Frances Tiafoe in Sunday's championship match, with the two Americans meeting in Friday's second semifinal. No American man has won a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open, and no Black American man has won the tournament since Arthur Ashe in 1968.espn+1

"Hopefully I can not make the American dream come true on Sunday," Zverev said with a laugh after the match.espn

From "Pointless" to Final

Zverev's path to the final was anything but smooth. He needed five sets to win each of his first two matches, spending nearly nine and a half hours on court before the third round. He has since won four consecutive matches without dropping a set, improving to 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.reuters+1

"I really started off the tournament, and I was like, 'Well, this is pointless because I'm not going to do anything here,' and here I am sitting and preparing for a Sunday final," Zverev told reporters.reuters

Against Khachanov, Zverev took the first set comfortably before the Russian pushed him into tiebreakers in each of the next two. In the third-set tiebreak, Khachanov built a 5-2 lead and held two set points, but Zverev won six of the final seven points to close out the match. He fired 15 aces and was broken just once across the nearly three-hour contest.espn+1

A Surface Feat for the Ages

By reaching finals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open in a single season, Zverev has joined an elite group of players to contest Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces in one year. According to the ATP Tour, the list includes only 11 other men since 1978, all of whom became multiple major champions.atptour

Zverev won his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June and lost the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner in July. He now holds a 9-1 career record against Tiafoe and is 5-0 against Shelton.nypost+2

Khachanov's Frustrations

Khachanov, ranked No. 50 and unseeded, acknowledged the quality of his run to the semifinals but expressed frustration over missed opportunities, noting he won only three fewer points than Zverev across the entire match. The Russian also aired a common grievance about Zverev's habit of bouncing the ball extensively before serving. "It obviously doesn't just bother me. Many players find it uncomfortable because it takes a lot of time," Khachanov said.puntodebreak

Zverev, who lost the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets in a spectator-free stadium, said the experience of playing in a sold-out Arthur Ashe on Sunday will be a welcome contrast. "For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they're fair," he said.reuters