No. 1-ranked Sinner outlasts fourth-ranked Zverev in three sets in Cincinnati Open semis

Posted by author August 19, 2024 Tennis

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MASON, Ohio – With world rankings in flux and a chance to go into the U.S. Open with maximum momentum, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev went the limit Sunday night in the first men’s semifinal of the Cincinnati Open.

Sinner, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, outlasted fourth-ranked Zverev in three sets, 7-6 (9), 5-7, 7-6 (4).

Sinner advanced to Monday’s final against the winner of Sunday night’s second match between Francis Tiafoe and Holger Rune.

Sinner, the reigning Australian Open champion, will vie for his fifth title of 2024. He broke a four-match losing streak to Zverev, including twice in the U.S. Open Round of 16 in 2021 and 2023. He advances to the Cincinnati final for the first time and improves his 2024 record to 47-5.

Zverev, the 2021 Cincinnati champion, missed out on his fifth victory over a No. 1- ranked player in his career

Sinner, a 6-foot-4 Italian who turned 23 on Friday, and Zverev, 27, a 6-foot-6 German, traded big blows, serves and forehands in a match that lasted 3 hours, 7 minutes. Their height allowed them to consistently hit hard groundstrokes at a downward angle over the net with no arc.

“I’m very happy about this performance and obviously I’m very happy to be in the final,” Sinner said in a TV interview on the court. “Some ups and downs, which can happen when you play over three hours. It was a good match for both of us.”

It was Sinner hitting the biggest shots in the end in a match where the key statistics were virtually even. Sinner had a slightly better first-serve percentage (62%) compared to Zverev’s 55%, but won only two more points for the night (123-121).

He won a volley battle at the net with Zverev to lead 3-1 in the third-set tiebreak. Leading 4-2, he hit a strong forehand, then at 5-3, he returned a Zverev serve down the baseline to give him three match points.

Sinner rallied to win the first set, down 5-4 and a break. He broke Zverev’s serve to tie the set 5-5, eventually going into an extra points in a tiebreak.

During the first-set tiebreak, there was a rain delay of about 20 minutes. Zverev led 6-5 with a set point, then both players put on a serving exhibition. Both players went over 130 miles per hour on their serve at times during the night, with Zverev hitting 138.

Down 7-6 in the first-set tiebreak, Zverev served aces on both his points to go up 8-7 and earn his second set point. Sinner responded with an ace of his own, then won the next point to go up 9-8.

Zverev saved a set point and tied it a 9-9, but Sinner won the next point on Zverev’s second serve, then won the next to win the tiebreak, 11-9.

Zverev rallied to win the second set, 7-5, breaking Sinner in the decisive final game.