World No 1 Jannik Sinner dramatically outlasted Alexander Zverev in a third set tie-break to reach the Cincinnati Open final – live on Sky Sports Tennis on Monday.
Sinner won 7-6 (11-9) 5-7 7-6 (7-4) in over three hours to reach his fifth ATP final of the season and will face American Frances Tiafoe.
The women’s final will see Aryna Sabalenka meet Jessica Pegula at 8pm on Monday – live on Sky Sports Tennis – before followed by the men’s final.
“It means a lot to me. It’s a very different moment, what I’m going through, so I’m very happy about this result,” said Sinner, who has been dealing with a right hip issue and was seen grabbing that area early in Sunday’s match.
“The physical aspect, of course, I have to improve, because if I want to win Grand Slams or a bigger title, I have to be, for sure, more in shape. But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I’m very proud [of], and let’s see what’s coming [Monday].”
A gruelling first set lasted more than an hour, with the match also suspended by 30 minutes due to rain. Sinner came out on top but lost a tight second set, as he was broken at 6-5.
Neither player faced a break point in the last set but Australian Open champion Sinner controlled the tie-break to book his place in the final.
“I think we both raised our level when it counted. The tiebreaker can go both ways. I just tried to stay there mentally. Obviously, I’m happy to be in the final,” said Sinner.
Tiafoe fights back against Rune
Standing in Sinner’s way will be Tiafoe after he came back to beat Holger Rune 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) in the other men’s semi-final.
Having lost the first set, Tiafoe comfortably won the second but was 5-2 down in the last set. However, the 26-year-old won the next three games and forced a tie-break, before he also edged ahead when it mattered most to become the first American since John Isner in 2013 to reach the men’s Cincinnati Masters final.
Tiafoe is hoping to win his first tennis event this year but will need to beat Sinner
“Crazy, crazy. That last set was nuts. It got pretty breezy there at the end, so we were kind of just playing the percentages,” said Tiafoe.
“I got really lucky there. I had a couple net cords, but I also battled. I competed really hard and put myself in position.”
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.
- Cincinnati Open (ATP 1000) – Until August 19
- Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) – Until August 19
- US Open qualifying (ATP/WTA) – 19-22 August
- Winston-Salem Open (ATP 250) – 18-24 August
- Tennis in the Land, Cleveland (WTA 250) – 18-24 August
- Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey (WTA 500) – 19-24 August
- US Open (ATP/WTA) – 26 August – 8 September
Watch US Open qualifying this week on Sky Sports Tennis before the final Grand Slam of the year in New York starts on Monday, August 26. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
