Khachanov Upsets Zverev, Reaches Second Masters 1000 Final

Toronto, Canada – In an intense semi-final match at the National Bank Open, Karen Khachanov saved a match point to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) on Wednesday night. This victory marks Khachanov’s entrance into his second ATP Masters 1000 final, seven years after his first.

Khachanov, the former World No. 8, fought hard during the nearly three-hour battle, especially in the decisive third set. From a 1-3 deficit in the tie-break, he won five straight points to secure the match. This victory over Zverev represents Khachanov’s third win in 24 career meetings against a Top 3 player, the first being in the 2018 finals.

“I had to dig deep and lift my level. It was a very demanding, very mental, very physical match,” said Khachanov. “I’m very happy to get the win after losing some easy ones to him in recent years.” Khachanov noted the pressure he faced, especially as he had been match point down.

For Zverev, this loss continued a troubling trend, as it was his fourth consecutive defeat to Khachanov. After the match, he reflected, “I thought I was very brave in the tie-break; I just missed. Generally I wasn’t feeling the ball well, so it’s normal that you miss a little bit more than usual in these kind of situations.”

The match featured a remarkable total of 78 unforced errors, with Khachanov committing 17 and Zverev 22, along with seven double faults. As he prepares for the upcoming final against American Tommy Paul on Thursday, Khachanov has moved up 10 places to 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, eyeing a spot in the year-end championships.