Cincinnati Master 1000

[Murat Baslamisli]

Do you really think in current form he could beat a surging Sasha?

Nah, tongue in cheek...but this would have been the year for him had he been healthy. Sasha is good but like most young guys, he will feel tired mentally, if not physically. I do not expect him to win Cincy. If he does, major kudos.

 

[kskate2]

It's looking more like it's Nadal's for the taking if Sasha is tired. Who else in the draw could play consistently enough to deny Nadal?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It's looking more like it's Nadal's for the taking if Sasha is tired. Who else in the draw could play consistently enough to deny Nadal?

Nadal is the only top 6 player in the draw. This is his tourney to lose. If he wins it, he will be ahead of Roger in the race by 1410 points a formidable margin.

p.s. Rafa and Muller are one win away from each other.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Kyrgios beats Goffin. DelPo bagels Birdman in decider.

 

[The Strokes]

It's looking more like it's Nadal's for the taking if Sasha is tired. Who else in the draw could play consistently enough to deny Nadal?

It's rarely about consistency, upsetting Nadal.
It's about big servers with no fear who are on.
Kyrgios may be revitalized, didn't see him play but a win over Goffin must mean something?
Rafa has done very well against Zverev--better than Fed or Djok--but really it's all a question of whether Rafa has shed his demons since Shap.

 

[britbox]

Results from the Cincinnati Open Men's Singles matches on Tuesday

Round 1
Adrian Mannarino (France) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 2-6 7-6(8) 6-2
11-Pablo Carreno (Spain) beat Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) 6-3 6-3
Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) beat Borna Coric (Croatia) 6-3 7-6(5)
Jared Donaldson (U.S.) beat 12-Roberto Bautista (Spain) 7-6(5) 6-3
Yuichi Sugita (Japan) beat 13-Jack Sock (U.S.) 7-5 6-4
David Ferrer (Spain) beat Steve Johnson (U.S.) 6-1 5-7 6-3
Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-2 3-6 6-3
Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) beat 10-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 3-6 7-6(1) 6-0
Karen Khachanov (Russia) beat Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-1 1-6 6-3
Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-4 7-6(6)
Nick Kyrgios (Australia) beat 9-David Goffin (Belgium) 6-2 6-3

 

[britbox]

Decent win for Kyrgios, hope his injury issues are clearing up.



Kyrgios might be an outsider here.

 

[Moxie]

 

[Moxie]

Kyrgios may be revitalized, didn't see him play but a win over Goffin must mean something?

Also curious if anyone saw that match. Goffin has had a rough time since his injury at RG. Contest of the least injured? I hope that Kyrgios is just well.

 

[isabelle]

great result for Delpo; hope he can have a great end of season

 

[Moxie]

I come home to see that my man Frances is a game away from taking out my man Sasha. But Zverev serving to stay in.

EDIT: Tiafoe gets the win! Sasha probably was tired, but what a great win for Frances!

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I love these types of wins from young guys. How Frances uses this one is up to him.

Zverev looked tired from the get go but that is not Tiafoe's problem, is it ...

 

[The Strokes]

There goes Zverev. Looked exhausted, he's won enough for now.
I like Tiafoe, his style is very unusual.
A future top 20 maybe?

 

[Moxie]

I saw Frances play at the USO a couple of years ago. He was a big strong kid then, so he'll be even stronger now at 19. I think he could definitely be top 20. And even Tiafoe said Zverev was tired. Said his game plan was to make him play long rallies, to keep him on the court.

 

[The Strokes]

Tiafoe is exciting to watch, in the same way that Rafa and Thiem and Shapolavov are--so much energy coming off their body on contact with the ball. He just has the je ne sais quos (sp) that makes me like certain players (shapely butts?) He's personally likable as well. I tend to prefer the players who duke it on the ground, who aren't getting a lot of free points off their serve.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

That forehand from Tiafoe though..with that grip and backswing, he really needs time to line it up every time. He looks like he has perfected it but I feel like if he is rushed on that side, he will be vulnerable. I have to watch it more. I almost see a bit of Gulbis there.

 

[britbox]

Results from the Cincinnati Open Men's Singles Round 2 matches on Wednesday

Jared Donaldson (U.S.) beat Ramkumar Ramanathan (India) 6-4 2-6 6-4
Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) beat 4-Alexander Zverev (Germany) 4-6 6-3 6-4
Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) beat Christian Harrison (U.S.) 6-3 6-3
Nick Kyrgios (Australia) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-3 7-6(6)
11-Pablo Carreno (Spain) beat Mischa Zverev (Germany) 6-3 7-6(2)
Karen Khachanov (Russia) beat Thomas Fabbiano (Italy) 6-2 6-2
Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) beat Mitchell Krueger (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
David Ferrer (Spain) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 6-4 6-7(5) 6-1
Yuichi Sugita (Japan) beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 3-6 7-6(5) 6-1
7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 7-6(5) 6-4
Albert Ramos (Spain) beat 16-Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 5-7 6-4 6-4

 

[kskate2]

Uncle Sam out there getting his arse handed to him by Manna.

 

[The Strokes]

That forehand from Tiafoe though..with that grip and backswing, he really needs time to line it up every time. He looks like he has perfected it but I feel like if he is rushed on that side, he will be vulnerable. I have to watch it more. I almost see a bit of Gulbis there.

Gulbis? Interesting, his FH is also very elaborate. I kept watching Tiafoe's FH trying to understand it. His serve used to be way more floppy and convoluted looking as well, he seems to be coming along in a good way.

 

[kskate2]

There goes Zverev. Looked exhausted, he's won enough for now.
I like Tiafoe, his style is very unusual.
A future top 20 maybe?

I don't think anyone expected Sasha to go deep here. Probably didn't want to withdraw and accept any kind of fine, so just decided to play and see what happens.