Karen Khachanov Defeats Félix Auger-Aliassime in China Open First Round

BEIJING (AP) — Karen Khachanov, a semifinalist at the U.S. Open, defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-3, 6-3 in a first-round match at the China Open on Wednesday.

Khachanov's win marked his continued success against Auger-Aliassime, with the Russian capitalizing on 11 unforced errors from his opponent in the opening set. He achieved the only service break of the first set and broke Auger-Aliassime's serve again twice in the second set, including in the final game of the match.

Previously, at the U.S. Open, Khachanov reached the semifinals after winning in four sets in the second round but lost to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.

Ten days prior to the match, Auger-Aliassime had led Canada to a 3-1 victory over France in Quebec City, securing their place in the Davis Cup Final 8, set to be held in Bologna, Italy, from November 24 to 29.

In another match at the China Open, sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic was scheduled to face Nuno Borges in his first match since his early exit at the U.S. Open on August 31.