Jannik Sinner Defeats Zverev in Epic Cincinnati Semi

Jannik Sinner, the world number one, triumphed over Alexander Zverev in a dramatic three-set battle to reach the Cincinnati Open final. The match, which lasted three hours and seven minutes saw Sinner clinch a hard-fought 7-6 (11-9), 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) victory. Despite struggling with a hip issue, the 23-year-old Italian overcame his previous losing streak against Zverev, who had defeated him in all four of their prior encounters. Sinner will face American Frances Tiafoe in the final after Tiafoe defeated 15th seed Holger Rune of Denmark 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) in their semi-final.

The Cincinnati Open final is scheduled for Monday at around 23:00 BST. After his intense semi-final, which the rain interrupted, Sinner acknowledged the need to improve his physical fitness. “I have to improve the physical aspect because if I want to win Grand Slams or a bigger title, I have to be more in shape,” Sinner said. Despite this, he praised his mental resilience, adding, “But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I’m very proud of – and let’s see what’s coming [on Monday].”

Jannik Sinner is also preparing for the US Open, starting on August 26 in New York, where he aims to secure his second major title of the year. During his match against Zverev, Sinner lost the first set in a tie-break but rallied to win the second set. Down 5-4 in the third set, Sinner won three of the next four games and sealed the victory with another tie-break, breaking Zverev’s serve twice. Reflecting on the match, Sinner remarked, “Sometimes you have to play a bit with the gut feeling. And I think this today was my strength.”