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Karen Khachanov on Tuesday produced a stunning performance to beat his good friends and doubles partner Andrey Rublev 7-6(8), 6-4 in the pair's fourth-round clash at the Madrid Open.
The 10th-seeded Khachanov grabbed command of a tough match by rallying from 4/6 to win the first-set tie-break, and he maintained that momentum to a one-hour, 42-minute triumph at Manolo Santana Stadium. "It's always tricky to play against each other because on one side we know each other's games perfectly because we've been training together for so many years. At the same time we know what to expect, but also of course a bit nervous to play against each other. We are good friends, but on the court we are rivals," ATP.com quoted Khachanov as saying. "It was all a matter of keeping the serve, and if you have any chances on the return, go for it. That's what I did," he added. Khachanov saved his solitary break point and won 80% (35/44) of first-serve points to take a 3-2 lead in his ATP Head2Head series versus Rublev. They also faced off three weeks ago in Monte-Carlo, where Rublev won his first Masters 1000 title. With his Madrid victory, Khachanov improved to 19-0 in 2023 matches in which he won the first set. The 26-year-old, who has risen one spot to No. 11 in the ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Madrid run, will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the next round of the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 as he tries to reach his third tour-level semi-final of the year. "At the end of the day, this match is over. We need to have some time maybe to absorb it. That's how it was in Monte-Carlo. The day before we played doubles, we lost a very tight match, and then the next day he beat me. After one day, life goes on. He's doing well this year, I'm doing well, I'm just happy," said Khachanov when asked about returning to court alongside Rublev. (ANI)
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