Sinner Claims Cincinnati Open Title by Defeating Tiafoe
World number one Jannik Sinner triumphed over Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to secure his fifth title of the season and his third ATP Masters trophy. The 23-year-old Italian, dealing with a hip issue, prevailed 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the Cincinnati Open final, achieving his 15th career title. This is prepared by SSP.
Sinner faced a challenging week, both physically and mentally, but managed to overcome Tiafoe in one hour and 37 minutes. The intensely contested first set culminated in a tie-break, after which Sinner dominated the second set. Despite fading after the first-set tiebreaker, Tiafoe left a significant mark by saving three match points and climbing into the top-20 rankings.
Reflecting on the win, Sinner remarked, "It was a very difficult week, tough mentally but I tried to do my best. Both tired from the semi-finals, we coped with a lot of tension." Sinner's performance included 29 winners, 13 aces, and he broke Tiafoe's serve twice from eight attempts. His deft play in crucial moments underscored his readiness heading into the US Open, which starts on Monday at Flushing Meadows.
Sinner noted his need for recovery before New York, emphasizing, "This is our main goal for the US swing." He carries significant momentum from earlier victories this year at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, and Halle. As the youngest Cincinnati champion since Andy Murray in 2008, Sinner stands 2000 points clear of Novak Djokovic in rankings, positioning him as the favorite for the upcoming major tournament.
"Now, for sure, it's important to recover, to be ready for New York," he emphasized, adding, "I have the hunger to keep playing and hope to show good tennis in New York."
Tiafoe, fatigued after the series of matches, acknowledged Sinner's superior play at the net post-match, saying, "I'm really tired, not used to playing so many matches like you big guys. Well-played." The contest demonstrated Sinner's high-caliber performance and solidifies his status as one of the prominent players in men's tennis heading into the year's final Grand Slam.