Nick Kyrgios was defeated by Karen Khachanov of Russia in a dramatic quarterfinal in New York, knocking him out of the US Open.
The 27-year-old Australian succumbed to Khachanov 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 despite needing treatment for his left thigh after the first set.
Khachanov won the more significant points and advanced to his first major semifinal.
The 26-year-old takes against fifth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway, who defeated Matteo Berrettini, who was seeded 13, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6. (7-4).
A first-time Grand Slam men’s singles winner will be crowned in New York on Sunday due to Rafael Nadal’s elimination from the tournament on Monday against American Frances Tiafoe.
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After defeating 23rd seed Kyrgios with an excellent performance in which he saved seven of nine break opportunities, Khachanov, who trailed to Jack Draper in the third round until the Briton went hurt, still has a chance to be that player.
The match’s first break point favored the world number 31, who won a close opening set. Kyrgios needed treatment after that and complained of having trouble walking.
However, Kyrgios bounced back and hit top form in the second set to tie the match.
In the third set, the Wimbledon runner-up continued to generate opportunities. Still, he became agitated when his forehand broke down in the ninth game and prevented him from taking either of his two break points.
Kyrgios’ racquet clattered on the court when he served, and he could not ignore the squandered chances.
He avoided two set points in the tenth game, the first of which came when Khachanov bizarrely hit a weak drop shot into the stands, but he could not save the second one in the twelfth as the Russian’s persistent returning continued to force mistakes.
In the fourth set, Kyrgios yelled furiously and destroyed a water bottle, which seemed to help him regain his composure and force a close match into a tie-break.
In the opening game of the fifth set, Khachanov accepted Kyrgios’ serve. He then expertly averted break chances in his next two service games and performed admirably under intense pressure to win at 00:59 local time.
Before hurriedly exiting the court, a frustrated Kyrgios shattered two racquets, ruining what seemed to be his best opportunity to win his maiden major.
