(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Karen Khachanov Reacts to Unusual Crowd Moment During Toronto Masters Final
Russian tennis star Karen Khachanov has addressed the unusual moment during the Toronto Masters final when the crowd erupted mid-match – and revealed it’s not the first time he’s seen something like it in Canada.
The incident occurred about 30 minutes into Khachanov’s clash with American Ben Shelton. Just as the Russian was preparing to serve, the crowd suddenly went wild. Shelton looked confused, and Khachanov waited for the noise to settle. The chair umpire then explained that fans were celebrating Victoria Mboko’s victory over Naomi Osaka in the Montreal final, happening at the same time.
Khachanov went on to take a tight opening set 7-6 (5), but Shelton fought back to claim a thrilling three-set win, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Speaking after the match, Khachanov said moments like this are actually common in Canadian tennis events, especially when a home player wins.
“I think in Canada it happens almost every year. Fans love to cheer for their local players. I remember when Denis Shapovalov beat Rafael Nadal years ago – there was a similar situation,” said the 29-year-old.
While the interruption was unusual for some viewers, Khachanov took it in stride, noting that Canadian fans bring a unique atmosphere to the sport.
