At the Cincinnati Masters, Thursday will see the round of 16 completed with every player left in the men’s draw set to be in action. That includes defending champion and world #1 Novak Djokovic who takes on Pablo Carreno Busta. World #3 Roger Federer, an eight-time champion in Ohio, is also set to take to the court. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals? We’re also predicting the rest of the day’s matches.
Cincinnati Thursday Predictions
Daniil Medvedev vs Jan-Lenard Struff
Head-to-head: Medvedev 2-0 Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff scored the finest win of his career in the second round by defeating world #7 Stefanos Tsitsipas in a third-set tiebreak. It has been an excellent year for the German, once ranked as high as 21st in the world, who reached the fourth round at the French Open in June. Though he has never reached a tour-level final, losing all seven semifinals he has contested, on his day he is a formidable opponent thanks to his big serve and thunderous groundstrokes.
But so too is Montreal finalist Daniil Medvedev, who has made a superb start to the North American summer hard-court swing. He is yet to drop a set in Cincinnati, beating Kyle Edmund of Great Britain 7-5 6-2 and the Frenchman Benoit Paire 7-6 6-1. His court coverage can frustrate even the best in the game and he can step in and dictate when on the front foot. That said, if Struff plays at his very best, he could win this match. But the German has struggled to back up big performances throughout his career and nothing less than his best will suffice.
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
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Diego Schwartzman vs Richard Gasquet
Head-to-head: Gasquet 2-0 Schwartzman
Richard Gasquet, three-times a Grand Slam semifinalist, has been playing fine tennis in Cincinnati, beating Andy Murray and Federico Delbonis, both in straight sets. And he has a very good record against Diego Schwartzman having beaten the Argentine in the final in Antwerp in 2016 before crushing him for the loss of just three games on the clay in Monte Carlo last season. But Schwartzman comes into this match in good form himself.
He won the title in Los Cabos earlier this month and although he lost in the second round in Montreal, he has impressed in beating Laslo Djere 7-6 6-3 and Radu Albot 6-4 6-2 in Cincinnati. Both men’s serves are weaknesses, which may be more of a problem for Gasquet due to the quality of Schwartzman’s return game. But Gasquet, at his best, excels at playing the sort of free-flowing attacking tennis that the courts in Cincinnati reward. Expect him to just edge this one.
Prediction: Gasquet in 3
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Yoshihito Nishioka vs Alex De Minaur
Head-to-head: Nishioka 1-0 De Minaur
Yoshihito Nishioka’s win over his countryman Kei Nishikori in the second round was most impressive. Whilst Nishikori was ill, Nishioka kept his composure admirably to defeat the Japanese #1 and earn his place in the third round. Alex De Minaur has also been playing good tennis. After winning the title in Atlanta, he made early exits in Washington and Montreal, but has rebounded in Cincinnati to beat Marco Cecchinato 6-7 6-1 6-2 and home hope Reilly Opelka 7-6 6-3. With neither man likely to give much away, this could well be come a fairly gruelling physical contest. But De Minaur has that little bit more power and that should tip the scales decisively in his favour.
Prediction: De Minaur in 3
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Roger Federer vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-head: first meeting
Third seed Federer made light work of Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero in his first match since losing the Wimbledon final to Djokovic having held match points. In a swift 6-3 6-4 win, Federer played on the front foot throughout, denying Londero time and court position to sweep him aside. It was a confident display and one that has surely set Federer up for what may be a profitable week in Cincinnati. But he will likely face sterner resistance up against Hamburg finalist Andrey Rublev.
The Russian, who came through the qualifying, has delivered two assured displays to beat Nikoloz Basilashvili from a set down and Stan Wawrinka in straight sets. He unquestionably has the power to trouble Federer off both wings and the great Swiss can struggle to contend with pace into his forehand. But the Federer serve remains an almost unanswerable weapon and there are also few better off the ground and at the net. Federer may not have it all his own way, but expect him to advance.
Prediction: Federer in 2
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