Trailing a set and gasping for breath after several lung-busting rallies against Mackenzie
McDonald, Karen Khachanov posed to soak in the Zhuhai applause on Sunday. The competitiveness of his 4-6 6-4 6-4 triumph over McDonald and the crowd’s response
throughout their Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships quarter-final delighted him.

It is these experiences the World No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings missed the most during his absence from the Tour following a semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros.

“I was missing the energy of the crowd. Here today, it was almost full, and I always enjoy
playing in front of people in full stadiums, so I was really missing it,” Khachanov said. “I am mentally ready. I had a kind of unexpected vacation and now I’m motivated, determined, excited to be back playing and trying to bring on this game again.”

The top seed will next experience a similar challenge and atmosphere when he meets American Sebastian Korda in Monday’s semi-finals. It will be the fifth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair. If their history and recent form in Zhuhai is a guide, it shapes as an intriguing clash in a tournament resplendent with exciting matches.

The 27-year-old Khachanov edged Korda in a thrilling five-set encounter at Wimbledon in 2021 and was
leading their Australian Open quarter-final this year when the American retired due to injury.
Korda, who claimed his second victory in as many months over Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-
1 6-2 in Sunday’s quarter-finals, defeated Khachanov in Cincinnati and Antwerp last year.

Khachanov and Korda have experienced similar seasons, playing at a high level at times only to
be stricken with significant injuries when within range of career-best achievements.
Khachanov said his rival, who hopes to break into the Top 20 by the end of the season, is an
astute tactician who dissects matches well when at the peak of his game.

“When he is on and he brings his flat shots and his A-game, he has a really, really great
perspective and is a tough opponent,” Khachanov said. “He serves well. He moves well. He returns well. It is tough to find a weakness. But that is what I will have to look for tomorrow against him.”

Korda, who is also in the doubles semi-finals alongside McDonald, has loved his first trip
to China and is revelling on the quick courts at the Hengqin International Tennis Center.

“We’ve had some good matches so far. I am sure tomorrow will be another good, fun
match,” Korda said. “We have a 2-2 record so far, so it is a big one for us. A spot in the final is where we want to be and I am very excited for it.”

Khachanov, who returned to the Top 10 briefly in June and resumed with an opening-round
loss at the US Open, has enjoyed a busy week since his arrival in Zhuhai. Aside from his victories over Alex Bolt and McDonald, the father-of-two participated in a school visit and has also offered advice to talented young Chinese players.

The angular right-hander said he enjoyed mixing with young people and hoped that he might
be able to provide an insight or example that could help their careers.

“It was really, really cool. I have two kids now as well and I think if I can inspire more kids
around the world, I’m just really happy to be able to deliver and to do it,” Khachanov said. “I think that’s most important. The next generation, they like to see tennis on the court… but
it is not only about winning or losing.

“It is the way you act, being polite, these things are the most important. If I can deliver this
and be… not an idol, but a person they can look to, I would be very happy.”

Ahead of Sunday’s Laver Cup action, Rod Laver answered fan questions on Twitter. The Australian was asked questions related to the past, present and future of tennis.

Who is Laver’s favourite young player?

Shelton is the new player on the tour. We’re going to see him winning a Slam, he’s got one of the biggest serves, a big left-hander, he doesn’t make many mistakes. He sees an opening and he goes for it.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

The 20-year-old Ben Shelton, who is No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport. This time last year, Shelton was World No. 177. The lefty has enjoyed a breakthrough season, with a career-best run coming at his home Slam, where he was a semi-finalist.

Shelton was also a big part of Team World’s convincing Laver Cup victory against Team Europe. The 2022 NCAA singles champion earned a singles victory in his Laver Cup debut and also earned two doubles wins, alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe. The 25-year-old Tiafoe is another player who Laver anticipates great success from.

Any of the top 10 could come out and win it, but we could see a surprise finalist such as Tiafoe. He’s certainly capable.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

Laver also shared what he enjoys the most about the Laver Cup.

The players realise the importance of what the event is. The Laver Cup is now established. Before it was an idea, now it’s a reality. The players feel a great identity with the region that they are representing. It’s the competition. They are trying so hard.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

I’m honoured that the Australian has my name on the centre court. Roger Federer was instrumental in naming the Laver Cup after me. I’m honoured he felt that way about my career.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

What’s the biggest difference between tennis now and when Laver played?

The rackets. The wooden rackets were great to play tennis with, but you have to generate all your own power. It made the game too tough for people. Metal rackets exposed the whole game, and made it more popular for women to play. They got their kids into the sport.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

Probably the most important was against Rosewall in the WCT final in ’72. Back then, tennis wasn’t exposed to the public. The NBC televised the event and it really took off. All the tennis courts were full that year. Interest in the game exploded.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

Is the 11-time major champion still playing tennis?

Not any more. I had to replace my hips and a knee, so I don’t want to wreck them again. It was worth every bit it. I play a lot of golf these days.

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 24, 2023

Is this the week Lorenzo Musetti captures his first trophy of the year?

The 21-year-old Italian advanced to his third tour-level semi-final of the season on Sunday when he moved past Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-3 at the Chengdu Open.

The second seed played with flair throughout the one-hour, 28-minute clash, striking 32 winners at the ATP 250 hard-court event. He timed the ball cleanly off both wings and hit an array of acute angles to outmanoeuvre Rinderknech.

“It was a step forward from yesterday. Yesterday’s match gave me a lot of confidence and today I started very well,” Musetti said. “Breaking him immediately and that was the key to my win. A really solid performance from the baseline and I am really happy to be in the semi-finals.”

Musetti, who won two tour-level titles in 2022, will next meet Roman Safiullin. The World No. 55 advanced to his first semi-final of the season after Jordan Thompson was forced to retire after Safiullin had won the first set 7-6(1).

Musetti has endured a modest season by his standards, holding a 31-22 record on the year. His best results were semi-final runs in Barcelona and Bastad.

Karen Khachanov continued his comeback with a thrilling victory on Sunday at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The top seed was pushed hard by sixth seed Mackenzie McDonald, advancing 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes to reach his third tour-level semi-final of the season.

In hot conditions at the Chinese ATP 250 hard-court event, Khachanov recovered from a slow start, upping his intensity and depth off the ground to improve to 4-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against the American.

“It was very tough,” Khachanov said. “A mental and physical match. I was behind from the beginning and he was leading the match. I had to try to push and bring all the energy to change the momentum and the way the match was going and I think in the second set from 4-4 I was able to push through and win the second set. It gave me extra confidence and in the third set to be more in a leading position towards the end of the match.”

Khachanov, who is chasing his first title since 2018, will meet Sebastian Korda in the last four.

Khachanov was competing for just the third time since his quarter-final match at Roland Garros, where he suffered a stress fracture in his back. He fell in the first round at the US Open, but has recorded consecutive wins in Zhuhai, also defeating Alex Bolt.

Korda improved to 6-0 against Argentine players when he defeated fifth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The American, who is chasing his first title of the season, hit 21 winners and did not face a break point to advance.

Korda is up to No. 28 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his 18th tour-level win of the season. His best result this year was a final run in Adelaide, where he held championship point against Novak Djokovic.

Team World moved to within one win of retaining its Laver Cup title on Saturday night when Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton downed Hubert Hurkacz and Gael Monfils to give John McEnroe’s side a 10-2 lead against Team Europe.

After Casper Ruud had given Team Europe its first points earlier on Saturday, Frances Tiafoe responded to regain momentum for Team World. Auger-Aliassime and Shelton’s 7-5, 6-4 victory means Team World need to win one of the remaining four matches on Sunday to lift the trophy for the second consecutive year. Each match on Sunday will be worth three points.

Competing in Vancouver, Canadian Auger-Aliassime and American Shelton won 81 per cent (42/52) of their first-serve and points and saved all three break points they faced to triumph after one hour and 23 minutes.

Tiafoe faced pressure Saturday evening when he stepped on court at the Laver Cup. Not only was the American trying to halt Team Europe’s momentum after Ruud won the second match of the day, but Tiafoe was trying to flip the script against Hurkacz, who had won their past three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.

Mission accomplished for the 25-year-old. Tiafoe defeated Hurkacz 7-5, 6-3.

“I just think being in a team environment is so foreign to us tennis players,” Tiafoe said. “It is such an individual sport. But I just came out and I just want to compete for the guys and play well for the guys. I want to put on a show.

The No. 11 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Tiafoe had lost three consecutive singles matches entering the encounter. But after earning a doubles victory alongside Tommy Paul on Friday evening, Tiafoe rose to the occasion in Vancouver. He harnessed the energy of the crowd to withstand 11 aces from Hurkacz.

In the critical moments, it was the American who thrived. Tiafoe saved the only break point he faced while converting three of his five opportunities to triumph after one hour and 13 minutes.

After a perfect 4-0 start for Team World on Friday at the Laver Cup, Taylor Fritz maintained the trophy-holders’ perfect record in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon. The American played his best early and late in a 6-2, 7-6(3) win against Team Europe’s Andrey Rublev, extending his team’s lead to 6-0 by earning two points for his Day 2 victory.

In a battle of aggressive baseliners, Fritz’s clean ball-striking helped him dictate more of the action on the indoor hard courts. Rublev had his moments, including several screaming return winners, but Fritz’s steadier tennis — and dogged defence at times — made the difference.

Fritz immediately carried over the momentum from Friday by breaking in the opening game and easing to a one-set lead. Rublev, seeking to win Team Europe’s first singles set at this year’s event, started well in set two but saw his 3-0 lead erased as Fritz came on strong late.

Both players fought off a break point late in set two, with Rublev’s break chance doubling as a set point at 6-5. In the decisive tie-break, Fritz hit two brilliant half-volleys to help seal the match.

“I was telling my team, I feel like I’ve always been much better at the handsy half-volley pick-ups and stuff,” Fritz said of those moments of magic. “I feel like people definitely don’t believe that I have that. But I think I’m more likely to miss the easier volleys than the half-volleys.”

Fritz was in constant communication with captain John McEnroe and his team during changeovers, and the American said he thrives in the group setting.

“Any type of team environment, I feel like it always elevates my game,” he explained. “I feel like I always play better actually, I feel like my record in team events is really strong and it’s because I have a team cheering for me. I can get pumped up for them, I’m excited to play for them. It just adds a lot more pressure and fire to it and I think I play better in those situations.”

Fritz’s win passes the baton to Tommy Paul, who will be the next man up to continue his team’s perfect run when he takes on Casper Ruud to close the day session. In the evening slate, Frances Tiafoe will play Hubert Hurkacz before Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton take on Hurkacz and Gael Monfils in doubles.

After one point was awarded for each win on Day 1 at Laver Cup, two points are on offer for each win on Saturday. On Sunday, three points will be awarded for each victory. With a 6-0 lead, Team World is nearly halfway to the 13 points needed to win the trophy.

Alexander Zverev was given a mighty test by Pavel Kotov on Saturday at the Chengdu Open, but the top seed turned to his trusty first serve to fire him through an entertaining clash at the hard-court ATP 250.

Zverev prevailed 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1 after winning 86 per cent (43/50) of points behind his first delivery on his Chengdu debut. Despite struggling to shake off the World No. 106 Kotov for much of the match, Zverev pulled away in the deciding set to wrap a two-hour, 26-minute victory and reach his ninth tour-level quarter-final of the year.

“The best players in the world find a way to win when they’re not playing great, and today I definitely was far away from playing great,” said Zverev, who converted three of six break points he earned against Kotov. “In the end I won and that’s the most important thing. I am still in the tournament.”

The 26-year-old German’s next opponent in Sichuan province will be seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic. He is delighted to be competing for the first time since 2019 in China, where he has never won a title but has reached a championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters (l. to Medvedev in 2019).

“I think the Chinese fans have missed tennis,” said Zverev. “We haven’t been here in four years. It’s been a very long time for everybody. I enjoy playing here, I enjoy coming back to China. Historically I played quite OK here and I can hopefully keep that streak going.”

With his victory against Kotov, Zverev rose above Holger Rune into seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He will hope to forge a deep run in Chengdu as he looks to boost his prospects of qualifying for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, where he is a two-time champion.

Another former Nitto ATP Finals winner, Grigor Dimitrov, earned his 400th tour-level win in Chengdu after he moved past Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

The Bulgarian, who is making his third appearance at the Chinese hard-court event, struck the ball cleanly in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting against Varillas. He also recovered from squandering a break advantage in the second set to advance after one hour and 26 minutes.

The 32-year-old Dimitrov captured his first win at an ATP Tour event in Rotterdam in 2009, defeating Tomas Berdych in three sets. Dimitrov has since lifted eight tour-level titles, rising to a career-high No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Dimitrov will next face Christopher O’Connell as he continues his quest for his first title of the season. Earlier this year, the World No. 20 reached the final in Geneva.

Second seed Lorenzo Musetti also advanced after pulling through a marathon clash against #NextGenATP Australian Philip Sekulic. Musetti accelerated through the deciding set to prevail 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-0 in two hours, 54 minutes and reach his first quarter-final on hard courts this year. He will next take on Arthur Rinderknech, after the Frenchman saw off Marcos Giron 7-6(2), 6-4.

Aslan Karatsev overcame former World No. 1 Andy Murray once again on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The 30-year-old defeated Murray in the Sydney final in their only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in January 2022 and ensured he maintained his 100% record against the Scot with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory at the Chinese ATP 250 hard-court event.

Karatsev was aggressive off both wings throughout the two-hour and 54-minute clash. Murray offered up an increasing number of short balls as the match went on, with Karatsev hitting through the 36-year-old to seal his sixth Top 50 win of the year.

The World No. 63, who is chasing his first tour-level title since Sydney in 2022, will next face second seed Cameron Norrie in his third quarter-final of the year.

Murray was aiming to reach his second tour-level quarter-final of the year after advancing to the final in Doha in February. The Scot has lifted five titles on Chinese soil, including three Shanghai crowns.

Norrie defeated Australian qualifier Marc Polmans 6-0, 6-3 in 76 minutes. The British lefty won 90 per cent (26/29) of his first-serve points and did not face a break point en route to victory. The World No. 17 is seeking his second title of the season this week, having triumphed in Rio.

Norrie is currently 15th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He will need a strong Asian Swing to boost his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.

In other action, Sebastian Korda improved to 13-2 against Frenchmen when he defeated Alexander Muller 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to reach his fourth tour-level quarter-final of the season.

The American is aiming to win his first title of the season this week at the Chinese ATP 250 event, having fallen in the final to Novak Djokovic in Adelaide at the start of the year. The fourth seed will next play Tomas Martin Etcheverry after the Argentine defeated #NextGenATP Czech Dalibor Svrcina 6-2, 6-3.