Khachanov drops out of top 10 ATP rankingsJune 19, 2023 - 13:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian-Armenian tennis star Karen Khachanov is no longer among the top ten tennis players in the latest ATP Rankings. Khachanov had his breakthrough on grass in 2021 when he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time and narrowly missed out on his maiden Grand Slam semis appearance after a marathon five-set defeat by Denis Shapovalov, Reuters said. The big-serving Khachanov looked set to be a major threat in 2022 but was not able to play at the All England Club due to Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a ‘special operation’. However, this year Wimbledon lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian players and will allow them to compete in the grasscourt Grand Slam as “neutral” athletes. The 6-foot 6-inch Khachanov has since reached two Grand Slam semis while he also gave Djokovic a scare at Roland Garros when he took a set off the Serbian in a quarter-final loss en route to breaking into the top 10 for the first time since 2019. Throughout the recent edition of Australia Open, Khachanov supported Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), which has been under Azerbaijan’s blockade for over three months now. After each victory, the tennis player approached one of the cameras shooting the game and wrote on the lens a message of support for besieged Armenians. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |