The final of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati will feature Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe. The world number 1 reached the final in Ohio struggling a lot due to a still precarious physical condition, but he proved why it is the No.1 beating Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev at the end of very hard battles.
The 2024 Australian Open champion will try to win his third Masters 1000 in a young career, the second in 2024 after Miami. The Italian has said several times that the US Open is his main objective and that he needs to improve physically in order to win another Grand Slam title after the triumph in Australia at the beginning of the year.
The 23-year-old from San Candido will be favorite against Tiafoe, who is expressing his best tennis after a period of strong crisis. The American won an incredible semifinal against Holger Rune, making up a break in the third set and also cancelling match points.
Sinner vs. Tiafoe: preview
Frances will play with nothing to lose and can count on the support of the crowd, who will try to push him towards a memorable feat. The American ace will have to play his best tennis in the final and hope that the Italian is not at the top of his form. Tiafoe beat Sinner once, in Vienna in 2021. Frances Tiafoe will not be the favorite in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 final, as Jannik Sinner is the world number 1 and has lost very few matches this year.
“He’s lost like five matches all year? He’s the favourite in every match he plays, no question about it,” Tiafoe stated. “You’ve got to tip your hat to a guy like him” – he added. Tiafoe defeated Rune after an amazing match: “Crazy, crazy. That last set was nuts. It got pretty breezy there at the end so we were kind of just playing the percentages. But yeah, I got really lucky there.
I had a couple net cords, but I also battled. I competed really hard and put myself in position. At 5-3 I played a really tough game, made returns. The luck goes on your side sometimes. Those net cords made a huge, huge difference. Saved one of my match points like that. But in the breaker I came up with some good shots, man. I played well, hit some good serves early, didn’t serve great at the end. But I battled, I battled and he got a little tight. One thing led to another and here we are.”
The American will have to try and stop Sinner, who is playing a fantastic season. The world number 1 has already won four titles this year, including a Grand Slam title and a Masters 1000. During the press conference, Jannik opened up on his physical condition: “This victory means a lot to me. I am going through a very different time compared to previous periods, so I am very happy with a result like this, regardless of what comes tomorrow.
Regarding the physical aspect, it is clear that I have to improve: if I want to win Grand Slams or bigger titles, it’s clear that I have to be in better shape. However, I tried to stay mentally in the match, of which I am very proud. I cannot play more matches to prepare for the US Open, so I am very happy.”
How’s Jannik feeling?
The Italian ace is very happy: “It was high quality, I think we both served very well in important moments. I tried to stay there mentally. I was a break down in the first (set), a break in the second, and then trying to break back somehow. He is an incredible server. He has played very aggressively, especially from the backhand side. So I tried to read his game a little bit, which is very tough against him and tried to use these small chances I had. I played a bit with the gut feeling I had, trying to go for shots.”
Fans and experts are wondering if Sinner’s body will be able to withstand the efforts in New York, where matches will be at best of five sets. The Italian ace has struggled a lot physically at both the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. The World number 1 also spoke about the courts: “This year, it’s a bit faster, the balls are smaller, making them very difficult to control. But we have no choice but to adapt. The wind also complicates everything, making it very hard to play under the current conditions. We just have to adapt.”