Karen Khachanov had never passed the 3rd round in Melbourne in seven appearances.
From ancient history.
The semi-finalist of the last US Open confirms his consistency in major events and dreams of a big coup.
After dominating Frances Tiafoe in four sets, the 26-year-old Russian outclassed the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-0, 7-6(4), in 2 hours of play in the round of 16.
He also flew over his quarter-final.
It must be said that he also benefited from the abandonment of Sebastian Korda.
Led 7-6, 6-3, 3-0, the American threw in the towel due to a right wrist injury.
Khachanov will face in the last four the winner of the duel between Jiri Lehecka and Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom he has never beaten in five confrontations.
To discover
Australian Open: ladies schedule and results
Australian Open: men's schedule and results
In the Top 50 in tennis history
Not yet a winner, but often placed in major events.
The 20th in the world became in Melbourne the 50th player of the Open era to have reached the quarter-finals of all the Grand Slams.
A stage that he had also reached at Roland-Garros in 2019 and at Wimbledon in 2021, already dominating Sebastian Korda after a big fight in five sets.
He is also the third player born after 1990 to reach the quarter-finals in each Grand Slam tournament after Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner.
He revealed himself in Paris
In early November 2018, Karen Khachanov won the biggest title of his young career in the French capital by triumphing against the monster Novak Djokovic indoors, at the Rolex Paris Masters.
It was his fourth title on the big circuit.
The latest.
The Russian remaining on two defeats in the final at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and in Adelaide in 2022. Khachanov loves Paris.
He also shone in the west of Paris.
Eighth finalist at Roland-Garros in 2017 and 2018, he reached his first Grand Slam quarter in 2019 Porte d'Auteuil.
Helped by his uncle and trained in Spain
Child of Armenian origin, son of doctors, Khachanov became a pro in 2013, bathed in sport since childhood.
He owes a lot to his uncle, the millionaire Alexander Zavonts.
The latter used his connections to get him invitations to major tournaments in Russia.
"
He wanted me to progress and get results before investing in me,"
he told Le Figaro in 2019 in Monte-Carlo.
He helped me because tennis is an expensive sport and accompanied me until 2016
”.
His uncle notably put him in touch with Vedran Martic, the ex-coach of Goran Ivanisevic.
The Muscovite left to train in Croatia at the age of 15, before collaborating with Galo Blanco in Barcelona.
He has been working again since the end of 2017 with Martic.
Compared to Safin and absolute fan of Del Potro
The parallel is necessarily tempting.
High and flexible (1.98; 88 kilos), armed with a great forehand, the young Russian is often compared to his compatriot Marat Safin, former world number one and double Grand Slam title holder.
"
It's an honor to be compared to him.
But our techniques are different
.
With his terrible serve and his formidable forehand carried out with ample preparation, the Russian indeed looks like Del Potro, his absolute idol with a large size whom he had also knocked down in the round of 16 at Roland-Garros. 2019.
Dad
since 2019
Married since 2016 to Veronika Shkliaeva, whom he met a few years ago at an airport by accidentally hitting her with a luggage cart, Karen Khachanov had her first child at the age of 23.
A fairly early age for a high-level tennis player.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/TX7TVKHAETXJU3NNZVSSQGXVTA.jpg)