Nick Kyrgios knocked out of US Open after losing five-set epic to Karen Khachanov

It could be months before Nick Kyrgios takes to the court again after his US Open quarter-final loss left the Aussie feeling “like I’ve let so many people down.”

Nick Kyrgios is one of the favourites to win the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios may not take to the court again until the Australian Open after a heartbreaking US Open loss he said left him feeling “like s***”.

The Australian fell to 27th seed Karen Khachanov in a five-set epic in which he was hobbled by a knee injury and struggled to recapture the form that saw him crush world number one Daniil Medvedev.

He smashed two rackets in a wild meltdown after the match ended and then stormed off the court.

ANALYSIS: HAS KYRGIOS BLOWN HIS BEST GRAND SLAM CHANCE?

Speaking after the match, a distraught Kyrgios played down the injury, saying he “tweaked it a little bit” but recovered during the centre court battle that lasted three hours and 39 minutes.

“I just came out flat, physically didn’t feel great and then I ended up feeling great towards the end of the match,” he said.

“There wasn’t really anything in it.”

Supported by girlfriend Costeen Hatzi who watched his press conference, Kyrgios said he was “devastated” to have again come so close to grand slam glory.

“I just feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all, to be honest – I feel like I’ve just failed at this event,” he said.

“I honestly feel like s***, I feel like I’ve let so many people down.”

Until the next one…@NickKyrgios 🤝 What a battle 🔥 https://t.co/A7GJrvSkCR

— Karen Khachanov (@karenkhachanov) September 7, 2022

I’m taking a positive view on Kyrgios’ post-match explosion. It tells me he really cares and knew he had a great opportunity to win #USOpen2022. Hopefully a massive 2023 ahead

— Marc McGowan 🗣✍️👨🏻‍💻📰 (@ByMarcMcGowan) September 7, 2022

The best rivalry in tennis is Kyrgios vs. Kyrgios

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) September 7, 2022

Nick Kyrgios after the match. Picture: Getty Images

“These four tournaments are the only ones that are ever going to matter, and it’s just like, you’ve got to start it all again and I’ve got to wait until the Australian Open.”

Asked whether he would play again this year, Kyrgios said: “Honestly, I don’t really even care about any other tournament.”

“Now having success at grand slams, no other tournament really matters,” he said.

“I think pretty much every other tournament during the year is a waste of time.”

While Kyrgios battled valiantly to send the match to five sets, the 23rd seed was left to count the cost of mistakes at the end of first and third sets, paving the way for Khachanov to win the quarter-final 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 6-4.

He will rue the missed opportunity after the US Open draw opened up with Novak Djokovic missing and Rafael Nadal already knocked out.

The first set of the quarter-final on centre court was a tight affair, with both players racing ruthlessly through their service games.

Kyrgios was concerned about some leg soreness through several early games but it did not appear to greatly inhibit his movement or power.

Having chosen to serve first, he suddenly came under pressure when he missed an easy chance to send the set to a tiebreaker at 5-6. A double fault followed and Khachanov claimed the set.

Kyrgios then called for medical treatment in the break, saying he could not walk “without pain, it’s too much”.

He returned to the court and told his box: “I don’t want to f***ing play through this s***.”

But he promptly broke Khachanov’s serve, bringing the New York crowd to its feet as they willed him on.

.

A meltdown from Nick Kyrgios after losing in the US Open quarterfinal! pic.twitter.com/hUTaihlTBF

— Third and Five Podcast (@thirdandfivepod) September 7, 2022

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Kyrgios’s movement on the baseline slowed in the second set as he continued to flex his leg and grimace more between points.

In a bid to win quick points, he pulled out his trademark tricks including a couple of crafty tweeners, as his serve remained unstoppable to help him even the match at one set apiece.

Khachanov’s similarly powerful serve helped him save two break points in the first game of the third set, frustrating Kyrgios who was soon screaming at his box again, telling them to “wake up” as the crowd quietened down.

The Russian stretched Kyrgios by working the angles in longer rallies, putting more pressure on his ailing leg.

The loss may well be the end of Kyrgios’s season, as he has spoken regularly about his desire to return home from four months on the road, but he will rue the missed opportunity after the US Open draw opened up with Novak Djokovic missing and Rafael Nadal already knocked out.

The first set of the quarter-final on centre court was a tight affair, with both players racing ruthlessly through their service games.

Karen Khachanov celebrates his win. Picture: Getty Images

Kyrgios delivered a scorching forehand to give himself a look at two break points with the set tied at 4-4, sending the crowd into raptures, but he lost both of them and smashed his racket so hard he had to replace it.

The brief meltdown saw Khachanov hit his way to two break points, which Kyrgios fought off with a brave drop-shot and a booming ace, only to lose his serve and the set in the next game.

He then lost his cool as well, copping a code violation in the break for hurling his water bottle on to the court.

In the fourth set, Kyrgios threw caution to the wind and went on the attack, bringing the crowd back into the game as he broke Khachanov to go up 3-2.

The Russian broke straight back thanks to a Kyrgios double fault that came about when a fan yelled out from the stands.

Another fan interrupted soon after, forcing the frustrated Australian to pull out of his serving motion, and Khachanov was also distracted by fans yelling out as he tried to serve.

Having had the game in his control, he suddenly appeared rattled as Kyrgios powered through the tiebreaker to claim the fourth set after midnight at Flushing Meadows.

Khachanov took charge once again early in the fifth set, breaking Kyrgios in the first game and snuffing out several chances for him to level it up.

Khachanov will now take on fifth seed Casper Ruud in the semi-final. None of the men in the final eight have won a grand slam, with the Russian’s previous best result being two quarter-final appearances.

Nick Kyrgios was never able to get in front in the match. Picture: Getty Images

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 4-6

All over.

Nick Kyrgios is out of the US Open after dropping a five-set epic.

The Aussie could never recover after dropping serve in the opening game of the fifth set.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 4-5*

Kyrgios holds!

It is all on Khachanov racquet now.

Nick must break or his US Open will be over.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 *3-5

Khachanov holds again and is now one game from victory.

Can Kyrgios make him serve it out?

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 3-4*

You won’t see a more Nick Kyrgios moment than that.

Trailing 2-4 and 15-40 on serve, he is seconds from having his tournament ended.

He steps up to the line, hits a fault and takes a verbal swipe at the umpire over the crowd noise.

He then cracks a second serve BOMB for an ace up the middle.

How can anyone have the guts to go for a serve like that in a moment like that?

He was all in and come up trumps! How will Khachanov respond?

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 2-3*

Another chance missed.

This has got to be getting really frustrating for Kyrgios now.

He’s had break points in two service games in a row. And while Khachanov saved the first with an ace, the second was an unforced error from Kyrgios.

That will be tough to swallow.

Khachanov is definitely feeling a bit of the pressure. He isn’t playing free and easy. You feel there will be more chances for Kyrgios but he is running out of time.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 1-2*

That was a chance missed.

Kyrgios had an opening on the Khachanov serve but it was quickly snuffed out by a booming serve.

The break advantage is maintained.

How many more chances will Kyrgios get?

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 0-1*

Horror start to the fifth set here for Kyrgios. He has been broken in the opening game.

Who saw that coming? It is going to be tough from here. He is going to need to make plenty of returns to get back into this one.

Luckily, he has some time on his side. It’s only early.

Nick Kyrgios has pushed his match into a fifth set. Picture: Getty Images

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6

We are going to five!

Nick Kyrgios has raced through the fourth set tie-break and the US Open crowd is absolutely loving it!

Forget the leg injury, forget the code violation and forget the Gatorade all over the court.

The US Open dream is still alive!

‘WHY ARE THEY DOING IT?’

Nick Kyrgios is not happy with the US Open crowd.

The later this match goes, the louder the New York fans are cheering. And they don’t care if it is mid-point or mid-serve. They are letting their feelings out.

Despite being asked to be quiet by the umpire, the noise is showing no signs of stopping.

“It’s every point now, it’s every point,” Kyrgios said to the umpire at the change of end.

“Every point someone is screaming out. Sometimes he’s already served and then they go. What is it? Why are they doing it? Why do they think that is Ok?”

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7 *3-4

It’s been a rollercoaster of a fourth set here in New York.

Kyrgios was able to bounce back from his code violation to swoop first on the opening break of the set.

However, it didn’t last and a number of cheap errors came back to haunt him.

The momentum is now all with Khachanov. He is two games away from the biggest win of his career.

Does Nick have one more push in him?

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-7

Disaster for Kyrgios.

He has been broken at the worst possible time to give up the third set.

The leg issues didn’t look to be playing any part in that.

Kyrgios and Khachanov went toe-to-toe from the back of the court and it was the Aussie who blinked first.

Kyrgios reacted about how you would expect.

He spent most of the time between sets talking at his player box and is absolutely fuming.

A Gatorade bottle was thrown and US Open staff are now cleaning up the court.

Kyrgios was also hit with a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 5-5*

The fire is definitely back for Nick Kyrgios – who has gone very Nick Kyrgios late in this third set.

After earning two break points on the Khachanov serve, he began pumping up the crowd, calling for them to cheer louder and louder.

It didn’t work though, with the Aussie losing the next four points. He followed that by unleashing on his player box.

Leg injury or not, the Kyrgios we know is back!

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4 *2-3

One thing that has clearly changed in the Kyrgios game is that he has adapted to the conditions.

When he defeated Daniil Medvedev, it was an exceptionally humid night and the ball was flying all over the court.

Tonight is much slower.

It appeared to be impacting Kyrgios early. With his monster serve, he wants conditions to be as quick as possible.

As for his health, he looks to be going OK in this third set. So far he hasn’t needed an extra injury time-out.

I’m calling it now. Whoever wins this set will win the match.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV 5-7 6-4

Let the games begin!

Nick Kyrgios isn’t going anywhere just yet.

He has snatched the second set against Karen Khachanov, taking the ‘stand and deliver’ approach and executing it to perfection.

Clearly hampered by his leg injury, the Aussie has no interest in long rallies and is trying to hit Khachanov off the court.

Thanks to his big serve, it is working, with the match now tied at one-set all.

‘I CAN’T WALK WITHOUT PAIN’

Despite his injury concerns, Nick Kyrgios is playing on bravely in the second set.

He has his nose in front after breaking Khachanov in the second game.

The US Open crowd is doing its best to get behind the Aussie, who is clearly the people’s favourite in this clash.

It appears he is putting his head down and attempting to play out the match.

Now the question is, will the injury have an impact on Khachanov?

He won’t want to change his game but clearly extending the points is in his best interest.

Nick Kyrgios talking to the trainer.

INJURY WATCH: IS KYRGIOS 100 PER CENT?

Nick Kyrgios appears to be battling a leg complaint early in his match with Karen Khachanov.

The Australian has been seen flexing his left leg on multiple occasions and also massaging an area just below his knee on the changeover.

He is yet to call for a trainer but has been grimacing between points on occasions.

It has been a flat start to the match, with not much energy in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The match is being dominated by the server, with not one game even getting close to deuce.

This may help Kyrgios if he isn’t 100 per cent, as the match should be too taxing.

“He looks a little bit flat to me,” says Jelena Dokic of Kyrgios.

KYRGIOS V KHACHANOV *2-3

The predicted story of the night has been on full display early on Arthur Ashe. This match is being dominated by whoever gets the first big crack in.

So far, that has been the server, with barely any rallies lasting longer than three or four shots.

While Nick has a massive serve, Khachanov is no slouch in that department either.

He can certainly play the power game when he needs to.

EPIC TWITTER SPAT TO ERUPT

Two years ago, Karen Khachanov became embroiled in a back and forth Twitter spat with Kyrgios at the height of the pandemic over comments made by Mats Wilander about Andy Murray playing the French Open.

Kyrgios tweeted “shut up Mats” when the Swede criticised Murray for taking a wildcard in the tournament.

When Khachanov took him to task the pair exchanged verbal volleys which ended with the Russian accusing Kyrgios of “playing video games whole day long” and suggesting he has issues if “you are sitting at home and writing different comments about players that makes me think who has the real problem.”

In case you are wondering.

Expect a juicy quarterfinal between Karen Kachanov and Nick Kyrgios pic.twitter.com/dkJaz28mer

— Anand Datla (@SportASmile) September 5, 2022

I’ve also been feeding the hungry, helping open up new facilities for kids to get active. But way to do your research you absolute pelican.

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 30, 2020

Kyrgios delivered his own crisp backhanded winners such as “I’d love to have an intellectual conversation with you but I’m not sure it would go further than how hard you could hit a ball” before signing off with “but way to do your research you absolute pelican.”

Arthur Ashe Stadium will be the first time the pair have met on the court since that Twitter clash and since their five-set epic showdown at the Australian Open in 2020 when Kyrgios prevailed in four hours and 26 minutes featuring four tie-break sets.

Khachanov knows Kyrgios is a different beast now, compared to when they last met, especially after his career-defining breakthrough reaching the Wimbledon final.

Nick Kyrgios soaks up his win over Daniil Medvedev.

Karen Khachanov.

“I mean, Nick said by himself that he doesn’t recognise himself in a way how professional he is right now,” Khachanov said.

“I think the Wimbledon showed him if he does the things like he does now which kind of level he has, what he’s capable of. Obviously everybody knows that, the way he’s serving.

“I think the thing would be the same for me, focus on serve, keep the serve. In rallies we have the same, equal chances. It will be always the question of how the point starts, with the serve and return.”

MORE DRAMA AWAITS FOR KYRGIOS

If Kyrgios wins, he’ll renew hostilities with Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semifinals in New York.

Their rivalry dates back to 2019, when Kyrgios threw a chair in an on-court meltdown, prompting Ruud to call him “an idiot”.

Kyrgios later hit back on social media, saying he would “rather watch paint dry” than watch Ruud play tennis, saying he was “boring af”.

Speaking after his quarterfinal victory in New York, Ruud said the pair did not speak in the locker room until recently.

“There was a time where it was a bit probably tense after things were said back and forth, but he actually came to me in Laver Cup last year and congratulated me when I won my match, which was nice,” he said.

“I think it’s easier now, and things have been forgotten. Things have been said, but there is no need to dwell on the past.”

“I mean, he’s, yeah, exciting player always to watch, and you never know what’s gonna come out of his racquet or his mouth, but in the end, at least he came to me and said that he was happy to see me play well. So that was nice.”

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios knocked out of US Open after losing five-set epic to Karen Khachanov