Karen Khachanov believes he is ready to contend at this year’s Australian Open
Karen Khachanov says his US Open victory over Nick Kyrgios last year, that left the Aussie favourite “mentally distraught”, is the catalyst to make him a genuine Australian Open contender in Melbourne.
Karen Khachanov says his “epic” US Open victory over Nick Kyrgios last year, that left the Aussie favourite “mentally distraught”, is the catalyst to make him a genuine Australian Open contender in Melbourne.
The towering Russian marked his best-ever major performance when he dispatched then-tournament favourite Kyrgios in five sets in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows, before falling in four sets to Norway’s Casper Ruud at the penultimate hurdle.
But the world No. 20 believes his Kyrgios breakthrough, joining only Novak Djokovic (Wimbledon final) and Daniil Medvedev (Australian Open second round) to beat the Australian in a grand slam last year, has set him up for a 2023 assault in Melbourne.
“The match against Nick was one of the epic ones,” Khachanov told News Corp at the Adelaide International.
“The match before I beat Carreno (Busta) in five sets as well … I think I found my game better from there and my form from that moment. I feel I stepped up in terms of belief and everything (else).
“The second part of the year I felt like I stepped up and played pretty well and finished on a higher note. I had some, let’s say ups and downs, but overall I’m happy and feel I’m playing more consistent.
“That’s what I need to do to get back into the top 10.”
Khachanov and Kyrgios famously got into a Twitter back-and-forth in 2020, with the Aussie labelling his rival an “absolute pelican” over him and other players’ perceived indifference to the Covid-19 pandemic at the time.
The two heavy hitters could meet again in Adelaide next week, should Kyrgios overcome his ankle injury to take the court at the Adelaide International 2.
Earlier in 2020 it was Kyrgios who sent Khachanov packing in the third round at Melbourne Park but the Russian got his revenge two years later in a five-set thriller in New York that left Kyrgios with a smashed racquet and one big question: What if.
For Khachanov it was the performance that proved he has the hard court game to match the best in the world.
“Obviously the Australian Open is one of my biggest goals at the beginning of the year – I would love to go further than the third round, let’s say that’s a goal for me, so hopefully I can make it,” he said.
Khachanov has opened his 2023 account in impressive fashion, winning his first two matches at the Adelaide International in straight sets to set up an enticing all-Russian quarterfinal with world No. 7 Daniil Medvedev.
A finalist in Adelaide last year, Khachanov’s hard court form looked promising until he ran into a rampant Rafael Nadal in the third round of the Australian Open – dispatched in four sets by the immutable Spaniard, who went on to defeat Medvedev in the final.
At the French Open it was another Spaniard, current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who sent Khachanov out in the fourth round, and he was forced to miss Wimbledon due to the All-England Club’s decision to ban Russian athletes from competing.
His past 21 meetings against a top 10 opponent have ended in defeat – an incredible stat that Khachanov was not aware of, but not one he is too concerned by.
“Until you mentioned I didn’t even know this,” he said.
“Obviously being a top 10 player doesn’t mean you only beat top 10 players.
“I had some good results last year like the US Open and other tournaments. I’ve played more consistently (than in previous years). Maybe there’s a gap there where I didn’t beat top 10 players, but to be there you have to have consistently good results in big tournaments and that’s the goal for me.
“Out of those 21 matches I played, I don’t know, (probably) 12 times against Rafa and Novak. I could have beaten them – I remember I had very close matches with most of them, so that’s why I feel like I’m there, I just need to take a few more steps forward.”
It only adds to the intrigue ahead of his quarterfinal showdown with Medvedev in Adelaide; the world No. 7 showing incredible form to power past Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0 6-3 on Wednesday.
The two last went head-to-head in the semi-finals of the 2019 Canadian Masters, which Medvedev won in straight sets.
“It will be an interesting one and a good test at the same time against a great player, a good friend (and) a top 10 player,” Khachanov said.
“Especially before the Australian Open, I think those kinds of matches, you want to have as many as possible to see how your form is and what you need to work on, so that you can be 100 per cent.”
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