Cincinnati Open 2024 Round 1 Recap

Round one at the 2024 Cincinnati Open is complete, and the American contingent got off to a poor start. Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, and Sebastian Korda fell at the first hurdle.

Paul and Fritz were denied in tight three-setters before Pablo Carreno Busta comfortably knocked out the in-form Korda.

Perhaps expectedly, Alexie Popyrin couldn’t produce the goods back to back, falling to Gael Monfils after winning his first Masters 1000 title on Monday.

You can see the full results below.

Cincinnati Open Round of 64 Results

Cobolli Cans Paul

Tommy Paul, the player I expected to do well in Cincinnati, is out. He failed to convert three match points as Flavio Cobolli defeated him 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 to win in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Cobolli is part of a hugely talented contingent of Italian players, and he’s shown plenty of mettle this season. He soaked up the pressure in the deciding set by holding from 15/40 in the 10th game, avoiding defeat before breaking Paul’s serve in the following game. He then served out the match, claiming victory in two hours and six minutes.

The Italians made a healthy move up the rankings after making the final in Washington. In contrast, Paul, who was aiming for a deep run in Cincinnati to boost his chances of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals, managed just one win between Montreal and Cincinnati. He is 11th in the ATP Live Race To Turin, trailing eighth-placed Alex de Minaur by 370 points.

Fritz Foiled By Nakashima

Taylor Fritz entered the US Open Series hoping to strengthen his bid for a spot in the ATP Finals. Having just won one match in Montreal, he fell at the first hurdle to Brandon Nakashima, further dampening his prospects.

Nakashima defeated American Tommy Paul in Montreal last week and followed up with another scalp in Ohio, coming through 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4). He’s now up to 49 in the rankings and is back on track after some promising results a couple of years ago.

The other highlight of the match? Hawkeye live malfunctioned during a point where Nakashima hit a forehand long. Fritz almost stopped playing as it was obvious, but after three or four more shots, the umpire instructed them to stop and play a let. 

Tstisipas Fights Back vs Struff

Stefanos Tsitsipas had to dig deep to keep his Cincinnati Open hopes alive on Wednesday. After an early exit in Montreal, the Greek star rallied from a set and a break down to overcome Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Tsitsipas, who recently split with his Dad as his primary coach, struggled early on but found his rhythm in the latter stages. He created and converted three of 14 break points across the second and third sets to secure a one-hour, 57-minute victory.

I felt like I was in a great flow state towards the end of the match with my serve. Immediately my groundstrokes improved, immediately my confidence to come forward and close in improved, so there were a lot of improvements that contributed to my game today. I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working on court. It gave me a massive push to [close out the match]. Tsitsipas on his win.

Other Matches of Note

Lehecka Makes Winning Comeback: The Czech has been absent from the tour for three months due to a stress fracture in his vertebrae. In his first match back, he defeated Mario Navone in straight sets.

Michelsen Sets Sinner Showdown: Having come through qualifying, Michelsen defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 on his Cincinnati main-draw debut.

Musetti Makes Clay Transition: Lorenzo Musetti edged past Nicolas Jarry in a thrilling three-set battle. The World No. 18, who has been in impressive form with five consecutive quarter-final appearances, including a career-best run to the Wimbledon semi-finals, secured a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) win.

Rune Reels in Berrettini: Like Stefanos Tsitsipas, World No. 16 Holger Rune had to dig deep to secure his place in the second round. The Dane overcame a tough challenge from Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling first-round encounter, ultimately winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 after a one-hour, 49-minute battle.

Drapers Fights Past Munar: Jack Draper battled through a tough first-round match, edging past Spain’s Jaume Munar 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). The Brit is known for some stamina problems, and he struggled physically in the third set, calling for the physio while leading 6-5 due to an abdominal issue that has troubled him in the past. Draper managed to secure the hard-fought victory in the decisive tie-break despite the setback.

Cincinnati Open Round of 32 Matches