Karen Khachanov has guaranteed at least a silver medal for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team after seeing off Pablo Carreno Busta to book a spot in the final in Tokyo.
Khachanov brushed past Carreno Busta 6-3 6-3 on Friday to earn a place in the gold medal match, where he will face either Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev.
Seeded 12th, Khachanov avenged the defeat that countryman Daniil Medvedev had suffered to Carreno Busta in the previous round in Tokyo, this time stopping the sixth seed in his tracks.
Khachanov, 25, is eyeing what many believe would be an unlikely gold medal after coming through matches with Australia’s James Duckworth, Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, and France's Ugo Humbert before his semi-final triumph.
Carreno Busta will contest the bronze medal match against the loser in the meeting between world number one Djokovic and fourth seed Zverev.