World No. 1 Jannik Sinner went ahead and won the Cincinnati Open on Monday, defeating Frances Tiafoe 7-6, 6-2. The 23-year-old world number one from Italy earned his third ATP Masters title and the fifth trophy in the year, adding to his Australian Open win in January.
The patience paid off for Sinner, who pulled off a tightly contested first set, which the Italian took in a tiebreaker. He broke Tiafoe twice in the second set to take advantage of the tiredness the American was enduring. Altogether, he struck 29 winners and 13 aces to express clearly that Sinner was the better man on the court.
Tiafoe will break into the top 20 in the rankings but seldom found the consistency to match Sinner. Despite saving three match points, Tiafoe succumbed to the pressure as Sinner proved relentless.
The victory propelled Sinner into the forefront of contenders entering the US Open, becoming one of the major favorites for the tournament. “I’m happy to be in the position I’m in,” said Sinner, radiating confidence and boding well for New York.
It makes Sinner the youngest Cincinnati champion since Andy Murray in 2008, further cementing his place as one of the young men rising to stardom in tennis.
