By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic did not drop serve upsetting Toronto champion Jannik Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4) to set up a Cincinnati showdown vs. Taylor Fritz.
It was Jannik Sinner's 22nd birthday, but Dusan Lajovic was the one celebrating in Cincinnati today
Serbian qualifier Lajovic denied all five break points he faced toppling Toronto champion Sinner 6-4, 7-6(4) to set up a Cincinnati showdown vs. Taylor Fritz.
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The 33-year-old Lajovic has brought his best against the best this season.
Wielding his wondrous one-handed backhand, Lajovic scored his fourth straight Top 10 win of the year, raising his record to 4-3 vs. Top 10 opponents in 2023, including wins over buddy Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The sixth-ranked Sinner struggled to hit through Lajovic on the quick Cincinnati hard court and seemed to struggle with a leg issue in the latter stages. At one point, Sinner was stretching his hamstring out standing behind the baseline.
Deadlocked at 3-3 in the tiebreaker, Lajovic lashed his fourth ace down the middle then drew an errant Sinner forehand for 5-3. Lajovic used the serve-and-volley play to reach match points and closed when Sinner pasted a backhand into net.
Qualifiers slayed a couple of high seeds today.
Aussie qualifier Max Purcell upset fifth-seeded Casper Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours. Purcell withstood 12 aces from the 2022 US Open finalist and will face either Frances Tiafoe or Stan Wawrinka for a quarterfinal spot.
Red-hot Tommy Paul, who knocked off world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Toronto last week, will get another shot at the US Open champion this week.
The 13th-ranked Paul out-dueled French left-hander Ugo Humbert 6-1, 7-6(4). Paul has beaten Wimbledon champion Alcaraz in two of three prior encounters with both wins coming on the hard courts of the National Bank Open in Canada.
Earlier, Fritz won 26 of 33 first-serve points fending off Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-6(1). Lajovic won his lone meeting with Fritz back at the 2018 Lyon on red clay.
Atlanta and Delray Beach champion Fritz improved to 44-18 on the season, including a 30-8 mark on hard courts, which is second to Daniil Medvedev for most hard-court victories on the ATP Tour.
It was a tough day for Italians.
The 2019 champion Medvedev maintained his mastery of Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2.
It was Medvedev's second win over Musetti in as many weeks following his 6-4, 6-4 sweep in Toronto last week. Medvedev leads the ATP Tour in Masters 1000 wins (23) and hard-court wins (32) in 2023.
The third-seeded Medvedev will face familiar nemesis Alexander Zverev for a quarterfinal spot.
Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5, 6-4. Zverev zapped 10 aces against 4 double faults and saved 5 of 6 break points.
The 2021 US Open champion Medvedev has won nine of 15 meetings vs. Zverev, including all three of their meetings this season. Medvedev has beaten Zverev in Indian Wells, Monte-Carlo and Rome as they prepare to square off for the fourth Masters 1000 event this year.
Four of the last eight sets the pair have played have been decided in tiebreakers.