Jannik Sinner just about managed to edge past Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open, mere days after losing to the Russian in Montreal.
Hip injuries, illness, and a historically dodgy run in the midwest was enough to keep expectations relatively low for Jannik Sinner, despite his position at the top of the ATP rankings.
The 22-year-old Italian has been nursing a hip injury throughout the early weeks of what will prove to be a brutal North American hard court season.
It all looked rather dreary for the world number one when he crashed out of Montreal with a bit of a whimper last week.
However, with credit to some acrobatics, the world number one looks somewhat back on his feet as he evened things up with Rublev in a feisty three-setter in Cincinnati.
Preparing for his semi-final against Alexander Zverev, a player he’s only beaten once in their five meetings, the Italian has been open about the struggles he is currently facing.
Jannik Sinner admits he is not where he wants to be ahead of the US Open
It’s certainly not looked as straightforward as Sinner made the first six months of the year look.
After titles in Miami, Rotterdam, and Halle, the world number one was out of whack in his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev, before tonsillitis sidelined Sinner for the Paris Olympics.
“For sure this week I am not there where I want to be,” the world number one admitted.
“But I am happy that I fight, my mindset and mental strength. I just try to dig deep and some positive things will happen. I’m here in the semis, it’s a great result. But I just try to do the best I can and see how it goes.”
A recent Sinner fitness update looks promising, yet there is certainly much more to improve on, with this latest transparent admission certainly one that rings true.
The level produced in his major-winning run in Melbourne at the beginning of the year, as well as his Novak Djokovic double late in 2023 is the Sinner that is desperate to come out.
Can Jannik Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in the Cincinnati semi-finals?
Zverev can look forward to a ranking boost if he manages to win the entire tournament and certainly has history on his side in this specific contest.
It was last year’s US Open round of 16 where the two most recently met, with the German edging past their back-and-forth encounter in five sets.
This week, Sinner was dealt a slightly fortunate hand after receiving a walkover into the quarter-finals after Jordan Thompson’s withdrawal.
Zverev was however condemned to a lengthy three set battle with home favorite Ben Shelton, with the German coming back from a set down to win just before the match ticked over the three-hour mark.
Considering Sinner’s fitness woes, Zverev will have the edge going into this one.
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