323 points, three hours and 50 minutes
Karen Khachanov put out Learner Tien in the small hours at Flushing Meadows: 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round.
Tien had led two sets to one. The 20-year-old American, seeded 14th, had dragged himself out of a third-set tiebreak that was gone, trailing 4-1 before taking seven of the next nine points. It bought him nothing.
Khachanov won 16 of the first 21 points in the fourth. He broke serve nine times over the night. The last of them arrived at 5-4 in the decider.
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First major quarter-final since Wimbledon 2025
Khachanov had not gone this deep at a Slam since that Wimbledon run. Alexander Blockx of Belgium is next.
“That was a crazy match,” the Russian said. “We had never played each other. I knew what to expect: one more ball coming back, and then another. So many tight rallies. He loves to defend way behind the baseline, which makes it really tough because you have to stay on it all the time with real intensity, keep hitting, keep pushing. In the end, I’m just really happy to get through.”
Tien was chasing a fourth American place in the last eight. Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen got there. Tiafoe and Michelsen play each other Tuesday. Shelton draws Carlos Alcaraz, twice a champion here.
Blockx and van de Zandschulp fill out the draw
Blockx beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. He is the first Belgian to reach a US Open quarter-final, and he has done it on his first visit to New York. Fifth seed Flavio Cobolli went out to him on Saturday. Against Cerundolo he saved 14 of 17 break points, and he did it after taking a medical timeout at 3-2 in the opening set for a rib problem. He is 21.
Botic van de Zandschulp needed five hours and 13 minutes to see off Arthur Gea, 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4. The Dutchman saved a match point in the third. Gea, a lucky loser who only got in when Casper Ruud withdrew, served for it at 6-5 in that tiebreak. The volley went long.
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