I Appreciate the Support Shown by Fans with Flags, Says Khachanov

The Russian player Karen Khachanov commented on his defeat to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals of the Australian Open, with scores of 6:7 (2:7), 4:6, 7:6 (8:6), 3:6.

"The impressions are always mixed when you go this far in such tournaments. Of course, I am very pleased and proud of this result. I reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the second consecutive time. I fought hard.

In the third set, Tsitsipas had two opportunities to win, but I prevailed and took the battle to the fourth set. It was a tense and very high-level match. At crucial moments, he took the important points and won. That's the reality.

At the beginning, the crowd was mostly cheering for my opponents, but in the quarterfinals and semifinals, the support was nearly equal.

I appreciate the support I received from Russian and Armenian fans waving flags. I felt a great level of support here," Khachanov's remarks were quoted by the tournament's press service.

Khachanov was supported by Armenian fans at the Australian Open, waving the flags of Armenia and Artsakh. The flags of Russia and Belarus are banned in the stands due to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Participants from Russia and Belarus compete under a neutral athlete status.