Top-Ranked Jannik Sinner Clinches Cincinnati Open Title for First Time
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner secured his first Cincinnati Open title on Monday, marking a significant milestone in his career.
The Italian, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Friday, defeated American Frances Tiafoe with scores of 7-6 (4), 6-2. With this victory, Sinner becomes the youngest Cincinnati champion since Andy Murray, who won the title at 21 in 2008.
Sinner commented, “I'm very happy to be in the position where I am. I'm just trying to keep going this way mentally. It's important to recover to be ready for New York. That's the most important thing.”
The US Open is set to commence on August 26 in New York.
Both Sinner and Tiafoe were competing in their first Cincinnati finals, with their previous best performances being third-round exits.
Tiafoe managed to force a tiebreak in the first set but ultimately lost 7-6 due to three consecutive errors. In the second set, despite Tiafoe saving three match points, Sinner maintained a 5-1 lead and closed out the match with a final score of 6-2.
Tiafoe's path to the final was unconventional. He won the first set in the quarterfinals on Saturday before Hubert Hurkacz retired due to a calf injury. Tiafoe then saved two match points to defeat Holger Rune in three sets during the semifinals.
An American has not won the Cincinnati Open since Andy Roddick in 2006.
