Tennis-Sinner, Tiafoe reach Cincinnati Open final
Adds details, quotes in paragraphs 1-5, 9-13
Aug 18 (Reuters) -Italian world number one Jannik Sinner played through a nagging hip issueto beat Germany's Alexander Zverev 7-6(9) 5-7 7-6(4) on Sunday and reach the final of the Cincinnati Open where he will face Frances Tiafoe.
Australian Open champion Sinner, who leads the ATP Tour with four titles this season, was limping at times and also favoured his right hip but dug deep to dispatch the 2021 Cincinnati champion in three hours and seven minutes.
"It means a lot to me. It's a very different moment, what I'm going through, so I'm very happy about this result," Sinner said in an on-court interview.
"The physical aspect, of course, I have to improve, because if I want to win Grand Slams or a bigger title, I have to be, for sure, more in shape.
"But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I'm very proud (of), and let's see what's coming tomorrow."
Zverev was three points away from serving out the opener but Sinner broke to level at 5-5 before they headed to a rain-interrupted tiebreak where the Italian secured the frameon his third set point with a backhand volley.
The players exchanged early breaks in the second set but German world number four Zverev heldto love to go 6-5 up and then levelled the match in the next game when Sinner sent a forehand smash into the net.
Neither player faced a break point in a tightly contested decider that required a tiebreak where Sinner took control, dropping just one point on his serve and sealing the match when Zverev sent a backhand long.
In the other semi-final, unseeded Tiafoe beat Danish 15th seed Holger Rune 4-6 6-1 7-6(4) to reach the biggest final of his career.
Rune got the only break of the first set to go 5-4 up and then served out the frame before Tiafoe stormed through the second stanza in 25 minutes to force a decider.
The Dane raced out to a 5-2 lead but Tiafoe then followed a routine service hold with a break to love and then saved two match points on his serve to get to 5-5.
The players went on to a tiebreak that ended when Rune sent a shot long.
With the win, Tiafoe becomes the first American to reach the final since John Isner in 2013.
Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Stephen Coates, Peter Rutherford
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
