World’s top tennis player Jannik Sinner, 23, emerged victorious in a dramatic Cincinnati Open final, overcoming home favorite Frances Tiafoe to claim the coveted title on Monday, CNN reports.
The Italian admitted he was struggling with fatigue after a taxing tournament, but still found a way to beat his American opponent in the final in straight sets, 7-6(4) 6-2.
“It was a very difficult week, tough week. I’m very happy about today’s match… It was very tough mentally. Had such an amazing run here, and I tried to do my best today. We both were quite tired from yesterday. We both felt a lot of tension, but I’m very glad about the level I played today, especially in the important moments,” he said after his match.
Sinner appeared to be hampered by a hip injury at times in Cincinnati but found a way to secure his fifth title of the season.
He battled through tough matches against Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals and Alexander Zverev in the semis to set up a clash with Tiafoe – who himself came back from a set down against Holger Rune in the semifinals.
In the final, it was Sinner’s booming ground strokes that made the difference, with his power and accuracy too much for Tiafoe to handle.
Sinner dominated the second set after securing a hard-fought first set tiebreak, becoming the youngest male winner of the Cincinnati Open since Andy Murray in 2008.
