It’s down to the final eight at the ATP Cincinnati Open Masters 1000 tournament, some of the most accomplished players in men’s tennis remain in contention for this coveted Masters title, here is your look at all the action on super Saturday from Ohio.
Jannik Sinner vs Andrey Rublev
Steen Kirby: Rublev just defeated Sinner in three sets in Canada, prior to that, Sinner lead the h2h 5-2 and had won three in a row so he will be seeking to get revenge and keep his edge in the h2h. A finalist in Canada, Rublev hasn’t dropped a set in either of his matches in Ohio. 34-17 with a pair of titles, he’s seeking a third to enhance his 2024 ATP season. World number 1 Sinner benefited from a third round walkover, 46-7 on the season with four titles, Sinner will be a slight favorite in this matchup, he won Miami earlier this season and will want to repeat the same feat this week. This should be a battle. Sinner in 3
Damian Kust: Around the start of 2023 it seemed like this rivalry took a massive turn in favor of Jannik Sinner, but Andrey Rublev got back at him literally in Montreal last week. The Italian was struggling with his hip though and with just one match in Cincinnati, we’re not sure where he stands now. The speedy court is probably more suitable for him than it is for Rublev and if he’s healthy, it remains true that the Russian tries to do the same on the court but is a fraction worse in all departments. Sinner in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton
Steen: Home favorite Shelton had an easier time against Fabian Marozsan in his round of 16 match after a couple of battles in the early rounds. A semifinalist in Washington, Shelton is trying to continue his excellent summer with another semifinal on home soil. Zverev hasn’t dropped a set in two matches and has reached consecutive quarterfinals at the Olympics and in Canada. While Shelton is playing well, he has struggled against higher caliber players like Zverev, the German should prevail in this matchup. Zverev in 2
Damian: Exciting that we’re getting this matchup for the first time. Ben Shelton survived a thriller against Tomas Martin Etcheverry earlier this week, but now that he’s here he’s usually a tough rival for the big guns. The speed of the Cincinnati courts should be to his liking, but then again how does he return Alexander Zverev’s serve? If he can’t make any inroads himself, it could be tough for him to provide a threat to someone getting as many free points while being frustratingly consistent too. Zverev in 2
Holger Rune vs Jack Draper
Steen: Rune has already come back from down a set in two matches this week, edging Gael Monfils in the round of 16, the Danish player is on his best run of form in a while and seeks a return to the top 10 of the ATP World Tour rankings. Draper has played three matches all going three sets, including two consecutive comebacks from a set down with his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime marred by a controversial double bounce call, the British player who won Stuttgart somewhat recently is at a career high ranking, he’s showing rapid improvement, and although Rune is more accomplished, Draper will make this difficult for him. Rune in 3
Damian: These two young talents have surprisingly never faced each other. The fast courts in Cincinnati should suit Jack Draper in theory, but it didn’t really look like it when he was struggling against Jaume Munar in the opening round. The Brit has raised his level since though and looked more dangerous against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime. If he can serve well and apply some pressure to the Rune forehand off the ground, he might just pull off another three-set win. Draper in 3
Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe
Steen: Sitting at a career high ranking, Hubert Hurkacz at 38-15 is fit and firing at the moment, but he’s needed three setters consecutively to reach this Quarterfinal stage, this is the same point where he was eliminated in Canada. A late night finish saw American Frances Tiafoe rally with the crowd to edge Jiri Lehecka in a third set tiebreak, the pair have already met six times and Tiafoe has split h2h meetings 3-3 with Hurkacz. Tiafoe has not had a great season but he’s better on North American hard courts, a semifinalist in Washington, he is trying to match that result, both players had long three setters in the previous round, but Hurkacz seems more reliable. Hurkacz in 3
Damian: Hubert Hurkacz returned to the courts earlier than expected after his knee injury and is already playing exactly what you expect of him generally with five three-setters in a row and plenty of tie-breaks. His level has been pretty sharp though and the movement doesn’t seem compromised. This was a tight rivalry in the past and with Hurkacz’s game profile we should expect nothing different. The Pole is the favorite given Tiafoe being slightly off his game this season, especially mentally. Hurkacz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
