Aexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has won the Cincinnati Masters 1000 after defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets. He was not at his best but still managed to win the match easily as Rublev seemed no match for the world number 5 Zverev has added another feat to his Olympic Gold.
He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match where he was down and out but came back from behind and won the match to set up the finals with Andrey Rublev. Rublev on the other hand defeated hot favorite Medvedev in his en route to the final of his masters 1000 final for the first time. Zverev is having the time of his life as he won his 2nd Masters 1000 title in 2021 after winning Madrid Masters earlier in the year. In women, it was Ash Barty who lifted the trophy and made herself the favorite to win the US Open.
Zverev is now the second favorite after Djokovic to win this year’s US Open as Daniil Medvedev has shown some form but looked out of swords in big matches. Zverev on the other hand has broken his opponent’s service games easily. While serving for the match in the Cincy finals, he faltered but broke back Rublev to win the match 6-2, 6-3.
Alexander Zverev is in the opposite draw of the US Open and will face Djokovic only in the semifinals if both players reach that far. Zverev has had a good time spent on court and has a week’s time to relax and regain fitness. He showed some signs of health issues in the semifinals but looked fully fit in the finals. In the post-match interview, he said, “It’s been an incredible week, I think a lot of great matches. To be honest, it’s an incredible feeling going into the US Open now.”
Rublev on the other hand will take some confidence going further. He previously lost all his encounters against his countrymen Medvedev but his win against him was one of the biggest wins of his career. Stefanos Stsipas on the other hand has not gone far in any of the tournaments that he played after the French Open finals. He will have to pull up his socks to present a challenge. He has favored the hard courts more than anyone on the tour but still had a poor 2021 record on this surface.
He is a shade above Zverev in terms of ranking but all that can change if any of his contemporaries other than Djokovic lifts the last slam of the year. Medvedev and Stsipas are on the same draw and might show up in the quarters if the draws remain the same. Berrettini on the other hand faltered in the round of 16 but has it in him to go long at the US Open. The Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime can’t be ruled out given his performances in the recent past. There are enough contenders who can challenge Djokovic who is all set to become the second man in the Open Era to win all 4 grand slams in a calendar year.