Eighteenth seed Karen Khachanov is proud of his career-best run to the final four in Melbourne Park.
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DRAW: Australian Open 2023 men's singles
Though the 26-year-old fell in four sets to third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday, he was pleased to have made his debut in the Australian Open semifinals.
"I would say I did it second time in a row, consecutive semifinals, I would definitely [leave] with my head [held] high," he said.
Khachanov fell in four sets against Casper Ruud in his maiden US Open semifinal last September and is on a 14-match losing streak against top-5 opponents.
"Always you need to take some lessons, to take something, some experience, to move forward, to improve," he said. "There is no draw unfortunately in our sport - one guy has to win and to go through."
Khachanov is now projected to rise to No.13 in the rankings.
"Hopefully I [will] keep believing that I can pass this step next time, if I am in this situation."
The big server, who fired 83 aces during the tournament - second only to Ben Shelton's 85 - will fly home with $925,000 in prize money.
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"Obviously I'm super happy, super proud of the... results," Khachanov said.
He commended his never-say-die attitude that earned him the third set, during which he saved two match points in the tiebreak after recovering from a 3-5 deficit.
"I fought hard…I never give up," he said. "It was [a] very close, very good-level match. He took over in some important moments, some important points."
Khachanov said he felt "so much love" from his fans during the tournament, including on John Cain Arena, where he upset 16th seed Frances Tiafoe on the American's 25th birthday.
The accomplished baseliner said he will be watching Sunday's men's final, in part to see how Tsitsipas approaches it.
"At the end of the day, I love sport, I love this sport."
If nine-time AO champion Novak Djokovic gets past unseeded American Tommy Paul in their first encounter, Khachanov has a cheeky suggestion for his conqueror.
Referencing his compatriot Daniil Medvedev's comprehensive victory over Djokovic to win the 2021 US Open title, an upset that upended Djokovic's pursuit of a calendar Grand Slam, Khachanov suggested, "Maybe Stefanos has to call to Daniil to ask him what he did that day."