Zverev downs Khachanov to reach US Open final, closes in second major

JUST IN: Alexander Zverev beats Karen Khachanov in straight sets to reach the US Open final, his third consecutive Grand Slam final as he closes in on a first major title.

Alexander Zverev is one match away from the title that keeps ducking him.

He took down Karen Khachanov in straight sets tonight, and this is what it looked like the moment it landed. That's a man who's been knocking on this door for years and can finally hear footsteps on the other side.

Here's the number that matters, this is his third consecutive Grand Slam final. Three in a row, and still no major on the shelf. Nobody in the men's game has been this close, this often, this recently, with nothing to show for it. The two shook hands at the net and Khachanov knows as well as anyone what Sunday means for this guy.

So Arthur Ashe gets a final with real stakes. Zverev either turns three straight finals into a first major, or he becomes the most famous nearly man in tennis.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.