Karen Khachanov Reaches US Open Semi-Finals After Retirement

Karen Khachanov reached the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday after Belgium’s Alexander Blockx retired from their quarter-final with the Russian leading 6-2, 7-5, 3-2.

Khachanov had established a two-set lead and was ahead by a break in the third when the match ended. The result sends the world number 50 into the last four of the tournament, where he will play either top seed Alexander Zverev or Dutch veteran Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the final.

The semi-final berth is a significant milestone in Khachanov’s campaign. He entered this US Open unseeded, his first time arriving at a Grand Slam without a seed since Wimbledon in 2018, but has put together another deep run at one of the sport’s biggest events.

Khachanov builds a decisive lead before Blockx retires

Khachanov took control of the quarter-final with a 6-2 opening set. He then secured the second set 7-5, putting himself within one set of the semi-finals against Blockx, who had made history as the first Belgian man to reach the US Open quarter-finals.

The third set was also moving in Khachanov’s direction. He led 3-2 when Blockx retired, concluding a contest in which the Belgian had been managing physical problems.

Blockx had entered the match already dealing with injuries. He said he had been close to retiring because of a rib injury during his fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo. In the quarter-final, he took medical timeouts for treatment on a foot and for apparent lower-back pain, issues that hindered him throughout the match.

Khachanov acknowledged the difficulties facing his opponent during the contest. “I saw really that he was suffering all over his body,” Khachanov said.

The retirement means the official score stands at 6-2, 7-5, 3-2 in Khachanov’s favour. While the match did not reach a conventional finish, his position on the scoreboard had given him command of the quarter-final before Blockx was unable to continue.

For Blockx, the run remains a notable breakthrough at the US Open despite the painful ending. His quarter-final appearance made him the first Belgian man to reach that stage of the tournament, and it followed his fourth-round win over Cerundolo while he was already contending with a rib issue.

A third Grand Slam semi-final for Khachanov

Khachanov is now through to his third Grand Slam semi-final. He previously reached the last four at the 2022 US Open and at the 2023 Australian Open. His latest appearance at this stage comes after a strong route through the draw in New York.

Before facing Blockx, Khachanov recorded wins over third-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and 14th-seeded American Learner Tien. Those results helped carry the unseeded Russian through to the quarter-finals and set up his opportunity against Blockx.

Attention now turns to the other quarter-final involving Zverev and van de Zandschulp. Khachanov will face the winner in the semi-finals, with a place in the US Open final at stake. After advancing through a retirement, he remains in contention for the title and will head into the next round seeking to move beyond the semi-final stage for the first time at the tournament.