Sinner takes revenge against Rublev in Cincinnati | ATP Tour

Cincinnati

Sinner takes revenge against Rublev towards SF in Cincinnati

The Italian is looking for his third ATP Masters 1000 this week

August 17, 2024

Tennis always offers a new opportunity and Jannik Sinner quickly learned his lesson. The Italian reached the Cincinnati Open semi-finals on Saturday, defeating Andrey Rublev – his executioner a week ago at the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal – 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. With the composure of a great champion, the world No. 1 sent a powerful message: any blow to his armor will be etched in memory.

The top seed turned around a high-voltage match, in a day of stifling temperatures in Ohio. If Rublev’s forehands were a constant punishment, threatening his fluid footwork, Jannik’s tenacious mentality broke the decisive phase of the match. The Italian resisted in a tough match to achieve victory in two hours and 37 minutes of play, one of the most demanding of his season on hard court.

“I needed a lot of mental strength,” admitted Sinner, who made 44 unforced errors, many of them due to the wind. “The conditions were difficult, very windy. In the first set he started very well and I didn’t find my best tennis. But in the second set I felt I had a lot of options. I waited for my chance and I’m glad to be in the semi-finals.”

The victory gives Sinner a wide dominance (6-3) in the Lexus ATP Head2Head history against Rublev, with three chapters played in 2024. With a record of 46-5 this season, the Italian will face in the Cincinnati semifinals the winner of the duel between German Alexander Zverev and American Ben Shelton.

The Italian is extending a season of enormous success on hard courts. Sinner began 2024 by lifting his first Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, extending his momentum on the surface with the victory at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. In Cincinnati, a great piece is just a few steps away from adding to his trophy collection.

The victory allows Sinner to consolidate his position as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Italian was the first player to seal his ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals, a tournament in which he will compete as the main local star and which he already played as a substitute in 2021 and with a starting place during the last edition.

Rublev, meanwhile, has seen his hopes of winning an ATP Masters 1000 on hard court for the first time dashed. After reaching the final in Montreal last week, Andrey has climbed to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, increasing his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for a fifth consecutive season.

Did you know…?
Jannik Sinner is aiming to become the first Italian player to reach the final of the Cincinnati Open in men’s singles. The San Candido native, who is writing new pages in the ATP Tour’s gold category, is the only player sky blue with multiple crowns in this type of tournament.