Karen Khachanov Has Become Felix Auger-Aliassime’s Kryptonite

No. 2 seed Auger-Aliassime fell to Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the China Open on Wednesday. Khachanov was unseeded in Beijing and needed just over 70 minutes to close out the match with Auger-Aliassime. Statistically speaking, the match looked much closer than the score suggests. What made the difference was Khachanov’s conversion on three of four break points, compared to none by Auger-Aliassime.

Khachanov noted the tough conditions at this year’s China Open, particularly in the competitive draw, saying, “Conditions were a little bit tricky today... It was a tough match for me, a tough match for Felix, in the first round. The draw is packed here, every match is a battle.”

This marks the second time in just weeks that the Canadian has been eliminated early at the hands of Khachanov, despite being seeded at both tournaments.

Back-to-Back Losses to Khachanov

Auger-Aliassime and Khachanov last met less than four weeks ago in the second round of the US Open. In that match, Khachanov, then also unseeded, upset the No. 3-seeded Auger-Aliassime 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. This alone cost Auger-Aliassime 750 ranking points and ended a tournament that once looked promising after he’d reached the US Open semifinals a year earlier. 

Khachanov has now beaten a top-10 player twice this season (both times being Auger-Aliassime), and had a run to the US Open semifinals where he lost to eventual champion Alexander Zverev. He mentioned how his US Open result added extra motivation for the rematch in Beijing, but he still went in with a different mindset.

“I beat him a couple of weeks ago, but here there are different conditions. I approached this match thinking about what I was doing at the US Open, but at the same time trying to play the match from the beginning," said Khachanov after Wednesday’s win.

Their head-to-head now sits at 4-2 in Khachanov’s favor, with the Russian now having won the last two meetings after the series was even for years.

Auger-Aliassime’s Season in Trouble

Auger-Aliassime’s loss at the China Open may be indicative of a bigger problem outside just a bad matchup. Auger-Aliassime hasn't beaten a top-30 player since Wimbledon, a drought that stretches beyond his results against Khachanov. His best results this year include a title in Montpellier in February and a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, though his form has faltered lately.

For the former world No. 5 who was a Grand Slam semifinalist last September, the back-to-back early exits to the same opponent are a signal that something in his game has gone missing since the summer.