Sinner avenges Rublev defeat, reaches Cincinnati SFs

Jannik Sinner overcame brutally windy conditions and Andrey Rublev on Saturday at the Cincinnati Open, where he earned a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 win to reach the semi-finals and gain revenge against the sixth seed.

The Italian fell to Rublev in three sets in the quarter-finals in Montreal last week and for large periods in Ohio, the World No. 1 looked in trouble again. In windy conditions, Sinner was pushed to the floor by the wind at times but dug deep and improved as the match went on to earn a tough victory. He crucially saved two break points on serve at 3-4 in the second set before he fended off a mini revival from Rublev in the decider to improve to 6-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

"It took a lot of mental strength today," said Sinner, who committed 44 unforced errors, largely due to the wind. "It was very tough conditions, very windy. In the first set he started very well and I didn't play my best tennis but in the second set, I felt I had a lot of chances. I waited for my chance. I am very happy to make the semis."

Sinner is chasing his third ATP Masters 1000 title and first trophy since winning the ATP 500 in Halle on grass in June. Now 46-5 on the season, the top seed will next face Alexander Zverev or Ben Shelton in his ninth Masters 1000 semi-final and first in Cincinnati.

In a tight clash, Rublev was the more consistent in the first set, breaking Sinner’s serve twice to lead. However, the 23-year-old turned the tables in the second set, striking 17 winners compared to just two from Rublev, who also committed 20 unforced errors in the set, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Sinner also produced one moment of brilliance at 4-4 in the second set, when he fell to the floor, rolled over, rose to his feet and won a brutal 26-rally point. The top seed then gained an early break in the third set and served out the match at the second time of asking to advance after two hours and 25 minutes.

Last week, Sinner became the first player to qualify for November's Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. He lost in the championship match to Novak Djokovic at the year-end event in 2023.

Rublev, who reached the final in Montreal last week, is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is aiming to make his fifth consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals. The 26-year-old captured his second Masters 1000 trophy in Madrid earlier this season.

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