|
Jannik Sinner has had a few health and physical issues in recent times but all that was put behind him as he held up the trophy for the Cincinnati Open, the year's seventh ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-2 to capture the title for the first time. It's his fifth title of the year and he is the first player to win multiple Masters 1000's in 2024 having won the Miami Open earlier in the season.
"It was a very difficult week, tough week," Sinner said. "I'm very happy about this match; it was very tough mentally. He had such an amazing run here and I tried to do my best. We both were quite tired from the day before, we both felt a lot of tension but I'm very glad about my level of play in the final, especially I the important points."
Career wise Sinner is now 15-4 in tour level finals and has won every final he has played in 2024. The Italian turned 23 just three days before the final and he is the youngest winner of Cincinnati since Andy Murray in 2008.
"Every title means a lot to me. As I said, usually I never like birthdays, but I take it as a good present. It means a lot to me. And yeah, so I'm very happy," Jannik said.
He is also the eleventh world No.1 to win this event since the start of the computer rankings in August 1973, and he joins Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Gustavo Kuerten, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.
"How I handled the situation on the court (I am proud of)," Sinner said. "It's been a tough week, there were many ups and downs which is normal to have but how I handled the very important moments in each match, makes me very happy."
And that confidence boost will be important going into the US Open.
For Tiafoe the run he had at the Cincinnati Open was huge. The American, who was in the biggest final of his career, has been struggling with confidence and form, but he will be able to take plenty of positives away.
"I've never made the final of a 1000. (I've) never made the final of slams, so that means it's the best I've ever done," Tiafoe said. "Obviously I wish I would have won. But, I mean, I think it's the best week overall. To come back every day and, you know, play a good match and play a good match and play a good match, especially when I've, you know, been winning a match, losing a match, you know. So, I won five matches here, too. So that's a great effort. Really pumped to have a week off. Yeah, I was a little mentally tired, but, yeah, it's a really good week."
He saved two match points in the semis against Holger Rune to become the first American finalist since John Isner in 2013 and if he had won, he would have been the first American to win in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick in 2006. The last American to win a Masters 1000 was Taylor Fritz at Indian Wells in 2022.
However, by reaching the final it has allowed Tiafoe, who was playing a reigning world No.1 for just the second time in his career, to return to the top 20 and it marks the first time since February 1997 there are five Americans in the top 20 - Tiafoe joins Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Sebi Korda.
The doubles championship was won by Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic; they beat Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4. McDonald and Michelsen had a huge win in the semis when they upset the top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos who were trying to win the Canada-Cincinnati double.
|
