Khachanov Outlasts Ruud to Reach Canadian Open Quarter-finals

Toronto, Canada – Karen Khachanov advanced to his 10th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final after defeating Casper Ruud at the Canadian Open on Sunday. The Russian player won the match 6-4, 7-5, showcasing resilience after losing a lead in the second set.

Khachanov, 29, stumbled as he found himself trailing 4-5 in the second set. However, he regained his composure to secure the victory. This win marks a significant achievement for Khachanov, who has previously reached several Grand Slam quarter-finals and won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2018 Paris Masters.

With his victory over Ruud, Khachanov ended an 11-match losing streak against ATP top 20 players, a dry spell that dated back to November 2023. Although currently ranked 16 in the world, Khachanov had struggled to claim wins against top-ranked opponents for nearly a year.

Khachanov’s last victory against a top 20 player was over Grigor Dimitrov at the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Masters. In that event, he reached the semi-finals before losing to Ugo Humbert.

Following the win in Canada, Khachanov aims for his second ATP Masters 1000 title. He is set to face American rising star Michelsen in the next round. If successful, he could potentially face the defending Canadian Open champion in the semi-finals, who won his match against Holger Rune.

On the court, Khachanov was especially strong on his first serve against Ruud. Although he only landed 56% of his first serves, he lost just one point throughout the match, yielding a remarkable 97% win rate on his first serve. After the match, he acknowledged the rare accomplishment, stating, “That’s true. I think to be honest with you, maybe first time it happened in my career, that I lost only one point on the first serves.”