Khachanov beats Carreno Busta to reach biggest final at Tokyo Olympics
12th seeded Karen Khachanov, who is also through to the mixed doubles semi-final, will meet either Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev in the final
Ariake Tennis Park – Tokyo, Japan – July 29, 2021 Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee celebrates at the Tokyo Olympics
Copyright: AI / Reuters / Panoramic
KAREN KHACHANOV (#12) DEF. PABLO CARRENO BUSTA (#6) 6-3, 6-3
- The main information: 12th seeded Karen Khachanov upset sixth seeded Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the men’s singles final at the Tokyo Olympics.
- You will also learn: Khachanov is through to the biggest final of his singles career
- Why you should read this article: To learn about Khachanov’s record against Alexander Zverev, his opponent on Sunday in the men’s singles final
Karen Khachanov is through to the men’s singles final at the Tokyo Olympics after an upset straight-sets win over sixth seeded Pablo Carreno Busta on Friday.
The 12th seeded Khachanov, who is representing the Russian Olympic Committee since Russia is under a two-year ban due to doping violations, needed only one hour and 19 minutes to defeat Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3. He will meet fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the final after the German stunned world No 1 and heavy favourite Novak Djokovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the second semi-final of the day.
Khachanov through to his biggest career final
25th ranked Khachanov, who peaked at No 8 in the rankings in July 2019, is assured of at least a silver medal after reaching the biggest final of his career. The Russian’s best performance at a Grand Slam had been reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and had been to the finals of a Masters Series event only once in his career (winning the Paris Masters in 2018).
Khachanov hit 10 aces in the match, winning 93 percent of points on his first serve and 61 percent of points on his second serve
Khachanov and Zverev have split their four meetings
Sunday’s final will mark the fifth career meeting between Khachanov and Zverev, who are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head so far.
After Zverev won their first two encounters in 2016 and 2018, Khachanov has claimed victory in their most recent two meetings – both of them coming in straight sets.
