Cincinnati (United States) (AFP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev won the Cincinnati Masters 1000 over Russia's Andrey Rublev (6-2, 6-3), while Australia's Ashleigh Barty won the women's competition against Switzerland's Jil Teichmann, 6 -3, 6-1, Sunday, one week before the start of the US Open.
Zverev, world No.5, lands fifth Masters 1000 of his career and sends a message to the competition, three weeks after winning the title of Olympic champion in Tokyo.
“The US Open starts in a week, so obviously I want to keep that momentum going and maybe I want to play even better there,” said Zverev.
It was the 5th meeting between him and Rublev, his childhood friend, in as many victories for the German, who has never lost a single set against the Russian, world No.7.
Zverev, who had never won a single game in Cincinnati before this week, largely dominated his opponent, who was playing only his second Masters 1000 final after that lost in April in Monte Carlo.
- "Can't wait to be in New York" -
"My first victory here was on Wednesday and now I hold the title four days later," said Zverev.
"It's been an amazing week, I've had a lot of good matches. It's a great feeling to come into the Open," he added.
Zverev, who remains on an 11-game winning streak, becomes the first player to win Cincinnati and Olympic gold in the same year since Andre Agassi in 1996.
"With my Olympic gold and this fifth Masters, I can't wait to be in New York," impatiently Zverev, who will be the No. 4 seed, behind world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who will try to his side of achieving the Grand Slam by winning the 4 major tournaments of the season.
Among the favorites are also the Russian Daniil Medvedev, winner in Toronto a week ago and finalist in 2019 at Flushing Meadows, as well as the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, finalist at the last Roland Garros and eliminated in Cincinnati in the semi-final by Zverev .
Among women, world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, who won her fifth title of the season (the 13th of her career), impressed and showed that she was among the favorites of the US Open, by winning easily in the final against Jil Teichmann, 76th in the world.
- "A brilliant week" -
After a very fluid course, Barty, who has not conceded a set of the week, slipped that she did not expect this to be the case.
"I would say that having managed to play without a hitch for a week and come away with the title is probably not what I expected of me, but it sure feels good," a- she told Tennis Channel.
"It was a great week, after each match, it got better and better. (...) Today, I was able to trust myself and play with confidence, which was important in a grand final" added Barty, who has never been in danger against Jil Teichmann, the lowest-ranked player qualifying for the final at Cincinnati since 2008.
Australian Ashleigh Barty celebrates her victory in the final of the tournament in Cincinnati (Ohio), August 22, 2021 MATTHEW STOCKMAN GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
“I'm very happy with my week. Today I wanted to win, but Ash was just too strong,” said Teichmann, who was playing the fourth final of his career, the first this season.
Becoming the first Australian crowned in Cincinnati since Evonne Goolagong in 1973, Ashleigh Barty makes an appointment one week before the US Open, one of the two Grand Slam titles still missing from her record - she won Roland Garros in 2019 and Wimbledon in 2021.
In New York, she will be keen to keep her rank, alongside the Japanese Naomi Osaka, defending champion, and the American Serena Williams, in search of her 24th Grand Slam title, to equal Margaret Court.
© 2021 AFP