Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz set up a marquee men’s final at the Cincinnati Open while Coco Gauff shocked world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the women’s event.
Djokovic and Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev and Hubert Hurkacz respectively to ensure a repeat of July’s Wimbledon final, which Alcaraz won in five sets to claim his second Grand Slam title and deny Djokovic a record-extending 24th.
Alcaraz survived a match point in the second set against Hurkacz as he rallied to defeat the Polish player 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 after being taken to three sets for his fourth consecutive match in Ohio.
Djokovic, in contrast, has won each of his matches in straight sets and overcame Germany’s Zverez 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 to give himself the chance to claim the Cincinnati title for a third time, after 2018 and 2020.
The Serb said: “I’m pleased. I think there’s a few things I could’ve done better, but overall it’s a straight-sets win against a great player in form, so I’m really happy.”
Alcaraz said: “It doesn’t matter if I’m playing third sets or long matches, I’m recovering really well. I feel like I’m going to play the first match of the tournament. I feel great.”
World No 1 Alcaraz leads world No 2 Djokovic 2-1 in their head to head, with the Spaniard’s Wimbledon win last month following a three-set victory in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters in 2022.
Djokovic’s sole success against Alcaraz to date came in the semi-finals of this year’s French Open when he triumphed in four sets at Roland-Garros en route to winning that Grand Slam.
Gauff beats Switaek for first time in her career
Coco Gauff secured a first career win over Iga Swiatek to reach the women’s final in Cincinnati
The men’s final will pit the world No 1 against the world No 2 but that will not be the case in the women’s with top-ranked Swiatek and second-placed Aryna Sabalenka both eliminated in the semis.
Swiatek was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 by Gauff as she suffered a first defeat to her American opponent after seven previous victories in which she had even not dropped a set.
Sabalenka was later knocked out by this year’s French Open finalist Karolina Muchova, going down 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2.
Muchova and Gauff are into their maiden WTA 1000 finals with Gauff now looking for her second title of the month after winning the Washington Open on August 6.
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The US Open returns to Sky Sports on Monday August 28 with the promise to give fans live coverage of the Grand Slam like never before.
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The final days in August will mark the start of the final Grand Slam of 2023, as the tours head to the US Open. We ask the key questions ahead of this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows…
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