In a thrilling encounter, Jannik Sinner ended his losing streak against Alexander Zverev with a hard-fought 7-6(9), 5-7, 7-6(4) victory on Sunday. The 22-year-old Italian secured a spot in the Cincinnati Open final against American Francis Tiafoe.
Sinner’s win marked a significant breakthrough, having lost four of five previous matches against the 27-year-old German. The world number one’s only previous win against Zverev came at Roland Garros four years ago.
The match was a rollercoaster ride, with a rain interruption midway through the first-set tiebreaker delaying play for nearly 30 minutes. Sinner saved two Zverev set points and won the opener on his third chance, only to fall in the second set after losing an early break and being broken again in the 12th game.
The third set went into a tiebreaker, with Sinner taking a 5-2 lead and ultimately triumphing on his second match point. The 3-hour match was a testament to both players’ endurance and mental toughness.
The moment of RELIEF š®āšØ@janniksin fought until the end to defeat Zverev 7-6 5-7 7-6 and advance in Cincy!@CincyTennis | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/SthiKUUQ9A
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 19, 2024
“It was a tough match, a very exciting match,” Sinner said. “We played in different conditions: sunny, rain, and then night. There was a lot of tension for both of us. I’m very happy with my performance and happy to be in the final.”
Sinner, who won his last title on grass in Halle two months ago, will face a rare Monday final against Francis Tiafoe. The 23-year-old American came from 5-2 down in the final set to defeat Danish 15th seed Holger Rune 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4).
Tiafoe saved two match points in his come-from-behind win, becoming the first American man to play the final in Cincinnati since John Isner in 2013. He will move into the top-20 rankings, joining four compatriots in the strongest US showing since 1997.
“It was crazy, that last set was nuts,” Tiafoe said. “It got breezy at the end, but you just had to play the percentages. I got lucky with a couple of net cords, which made a huge difference. I battled in the tiebreaker, and he got a little tight. One thing led to another, and here we are.”
Sinner will be playing in his fifth career Masters 1000 final, seeking to build momentum ahead of the US Open in eight days. The Italian acknowledged the importance of maintaining his fitness, having struggled with a hip problem, illness, and tonsillitis recently.
“If I’m going to win bigger matches, I have to be more in shape,” Sinner said. “Today, I stayed mentally strong; I’m proud of that.”
