Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was eliminated in the second round of the US Open by Russian Karen Khachanov, who was unseeded in the tournament. The Canadian, a two-time US Open finalist, lost 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 after a hard-fought match that saw him fall short despite taking the first set in a tie-break. Auger-Aliassime struggled with unforced errors and was outplayed by Khachanov’s powerful baseline shots, which helped the Russian clinch the match. This result marks Auger-Aliassime as the highest-ranked seed to be knocked out in the second round so far at this year’s US Open. Auger-Aliassime had been expected to have a strong run in New York, having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year. However, he withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August due to a back injury. His exit comes just days after fourth seed Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was unexpectedly defeated in the first round. Khachanov, ranked world No. 50, acknowledged that Auger-Aliassime might have been dealing with physical issues, adding that such challenges are common in tennis. Despite not playing at his best, Khachanov was able to take advantage of his opponent’s waning energy as the match progressed. Khachanov’s win marks a personal milestone, as it is the first time he has reached the third round of all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year. The Russian, a semi-finalist at last year’s US Open, broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve seven times during the match and saved seven of nine break points he faced. The match was tightly contested in the first set, with Auger-Aliassime initially leading 3-0 before a series of errors allowed Khachanov to take control. Although the Canadian fought back to level the set at 4-4, Khachanov held his nerve in the tie-break, which he eventually won after a long rally. In the second set, Khachanov took an early 3-0 lead and never looked back, closing out the set on his serve after recovering from a break point. He dominated the third set, breaking Auger-Aliassime’s serve to take a commanding lead and quickly extended that advantage in the fourth set. As the match wore on, Auger-Aliassime appeared to lose both energy and form, and Khachanov sealed the victory with a powerful serve that his opponent could not return. With this win, Khachanov will now face either French player Benjamin Bonzi or Peruvian Ignacio Buse in the third round.