Sinner’s triumph at the Masters 1000 event follows his Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open in January, his fifth title of the year, and his first at the tournament in Ohio.
Cincinnati Open Highlights:
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner saw off the challenge from home favorite Frances Tiafoe to win the men’s Cincinnati Open title on Monday. The Italian admitted he was struggling with fatigue after a taxing tournament, but still found a way to beat his American opponent in the final in straight sets, 7-6(4) 6-2.
The 23-year-old, who has been struggling over the last couple of months with a hip issue and who missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, was error-prone to start the contest and came up limping after several points in the tight first set.
But he found his game in the tie-break, absorbing the American’s powerful serve on set point. Tiafoe’s next shot sailed long as the Italian grabbed the opener.
Tiafoe, who has struggled to find momentum and wins this season, could not take advantage of his three break point opportunities in the first set and fell into a 2-0 hole to start the second from which he was never able to recover.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (4), 6-2 at the Cincinnati Open final on Monday, showing that despite recent health struggles he will still be the man to beat at the upcoming US Open in New York.
The 23-year-old, who has been struggling over the last couple of months with a hip issue and who missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, was error-prone to start the contest and came up limping after several points in the tight first set.
Post Match Press-Conference:
Critically, Sinner has now shown that he can win even when not 100 percent healthy, an attribute he may need to utilize at Flushing Meadows where defending champion Novak Djokovic and world number three Carlos Alcaraz are the other hot favourites.
“It was a very difficult week, tough week. I’m very happy about today’s match,” Sinner said in his on-court interview.
“It was very tough mentally… We both felt a lot of tension, but I’m very glad about the level I played, especially in the important moments.”
Sinner said his sole focus now is on getting ready for the year’s final major.
“Now, for sure, it’s important to recover, to be to be ready for New York,” he said.
“I’m very happy to be in a position where I am and just trying to keep going mentally with this hunger to keep playing.”
[…] Jannik Sinner, the world’s No. 1 tennis player, clinched his second Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open, defeating Taylor Fritz in a thrilling final. This victory marked a remarkable comeback for Sinner, who faced significant challenges leading up to the tournament. […]
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