Zverev has not dropped a first set at a Grand Slam in his last 19 main-draw matches, a streak that has carried through five-set survival acts and routine straight-set wins alike at this US Open.

That kind of consistency at the start of matches is rare even among the game's elite, and it sets up the clearest angle into a semifinal where Khachanov, unseeded and playing with nothing to lose, will need to break the pattern from the very first game.

Quick Picks

Our Pick: Set 1 Winner: Alexander Zverev

Same Game Multi (our combination): Match Betting: Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov To Win At Least 1 Set: Karen Khachanov Yes

Alternative Pick: Match Betting: Alexander Zverev

The individual legs behind that combination are available on the Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov odds page.

Zverev's serve and the shape of this semifinal

Zverev has looked progressively sharper as the tournament has gone on.

After needing five sets in each of his first two rounds, he has now won three consecutive matches in straight sets, capped by a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 dismissal of Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinal.

The serve numbers from his fourth-round win over Darderi back up why that opening-set streak has held: 13 aces, 72 per cent of first serves landed, and four break points converted from 17, with Zverev leading the tournament outright in aces after that round.

For additional context, Sportsbet has a separate guide covering how to bet on the US Open.

Date: Saturday 12 September 2026

Kick-off: 5:00 am AEST

Local Kick-off: 3:00 pm EDT

Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York

How to watch Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov in Australia

Australian viewers can watch the event on Stan Sport; selected coverage on Nine/9Now.

This semifinal can be streamed live on Sportsbet.

Log in through the Sportsbet app or website, make sure you have a positive account balance or have placed a bet in the previous 24 hours, open the event's betting page, and select the Watch Live icon.

Full details are covered in the sports available to watch live on Sportsbet guide, and streaming availability can change closer to the match. For broader coverage options, the guide to watching the US Open in Australia is worth a look too.

Khachanov's road has not been easy either

Khachanov reached this stage by beating Learner Tien in five sets, recovering from two sets to one down and saving break points in the decider during a match that ran three hours and 50 minutes.

That effort, followed by a truncated quarterfinal that ended in retirement while he led Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5, 3-2, means he arrives without the calmest passage through the draw.

Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov Prediction

Zverev's first-set record over 19 consecutive majors is the standout reason to back him again here, even though Khachanov beat him from a set up in Canada last year and Zverev's own quarterfinal included a five-double-fault opening set.

Zverev is still chasing a maiden major, and for a sense of the company he is trying to join, it is worth a look at who holds the most Grand Slam titles in tennis.