Sinner Beats Zverev to Reach Cincinnati Open Final

Jannik Sinner broke his losing streak against Alexander Zverev with a hard-fought victory of 7-6 (11/9), 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday, securing a spot in the final.

Previously, Sinner had a challenging track record against Zverev, winning only once in their five past encounters at Roland Garros four years ago.

The match stretched over three hours and was temporarily halted due to rain during the first-set tiebreaker, adding to the disruption caused by poor weather at the tournament.

In a tense match, Sinner managed to save two set points from Zverev and claimed the first set on his third attempt, although he later dropped the second set after failing to maintain an early break and making a critical error on an overhead shot.

The decisive third set also proceeded to a tiebreaker, where Sinner established a 5-2 lead and eventually won on his second match point.

“It was a tough match, a very exciting match,” Sinner remarked, noting the varied playing conditions of sun, rain, and 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.”

Having last won a title on grass at Halle two months prior, Sinner is set to face either Frances Tiafoe or Danish 15th seed Holger Rune in a rare Monday final.

Reflecting on the intense match, the 23-year-old Italian commented, “I had to play with my gut, I feel that is my strength. We had some ups and downs over three hours.”

With the US Open approaching in eight days, Sinner expressed that the match was ideal preparation. Despite recent challenges with his health, including a hip issue, illness, and tonsillitis that led him to miss the Olympics, Sinner emphasized the need to maintain his fitness to win more significant matches and praised his mental resilience in today’s game.

This upcoming final marks Sinner’s fifth appearance in a Masters 1000 final.