Karen khachanov He started his journey with victory in the Cincinnati Masters 1,000. The Russian, number 15 ATP, pulled his patience and ex officio to defeat a leathery Alexander Bublik that raised battle to the end. Two service breaks throughout the game were enough for Khachanov to certify his move to the next round by a double 6-4, tie in which the Asturian Pablo Carreño will be measured.
The duel between Russian and Kazakh was resolved by details, with a similar start and end. In the first game, Khachanov arrived and kissed the saint to certify the break, an advantage he was able to hold throughout the first set thanks in large part to the solidity he showed today with the service: won 79% of first serve points and did not concede any break balls his rival.
If you add seven aces to this consistency, it was to be expected that the party would opt for the Russian side. Although work cost him. Bublik did not give up and it had to be in the ninth game of the second set, with the bright equalizer (4-4), when Khachanov gave the final blow in the form of a break. Without giving any room for reaction, Khachanov closed the game with serve, his best weapon. Carreño, a solid receiver from the back of the court, should take good note of this if he wants to have chances against the direct play of the Russian. However, the face-to-face already has it won beforehand by 2-1.
At doubles box, the one from Gijón showed good feelings when win in the first round with Alex de Miñaur the pair formed by the Croatian Ivan Dodig and the Slovak Filip Polase by a score of 3-6, 7-6 (3) and 10-5.
Schwartzman, Goffin and Tsitsipas advance
Diego schwartzman he also lived up to the odds on his tournament debut by defeating the Norwegian in straight sets Casper Ruud. The Argentine pulled his patience to close the first set in the tie-break, a fact that left his rival morally touched in the face of a second set where there was no color. Schwartzman closed the crash in almost two hours for a score of 7-6 and 6-3.
In the second round matches the Belgian David Goffin and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas they became the first tennis players classified for the round of 16 of the tournament.
Goffin did not give Croatian Borna Coric options, whom he beat in straight sets 7-6 and 6-4, and in the round of 16 he will face the winner of the match between Canadian Denis Shapovalov and German Jan-Lennard Struff.
Easier had it Stefanos Tsitsipas, who got rid of South African Kevin Anderson with a resounding 6-1 and 6-3. The Greek awaits a rival between the American John Isner and the Australian John Millman to fight for a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Results for Sunday, August 23 at the Cincinnati Masters 1,000
Second round
David Goffin (BEL) to Borna Coric (CRO) 7-6 and 6-4
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) to Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-1 and 6-3
First round
Tennys Sandgren (USA) to Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-3 and 7-6
Marcos Giron (USA) to Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 7-6 and 7-5
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) to Christian Garín (CHI) 6-4, 6-7 and 6-0
Karen Khachanov (RUS) to Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 6-4 and 6-4
Richard Gasquet (FRA) to J.J. Wolf (USA) 6-4 and 6-4
Emil Ruuusuvuori (FIN) to Sebastian Korda (USA) 7-6, 4-6 and 7-5
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) to Casper Ruud (NOR) 7-6 and 6-3
John Isner (USA) to Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 7-5 and 6-4
John Millman (AUS) to Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 4-6, 6-4 and 7-6
Daniel Evans (GBR) to Andrey Rublev (RUS) 7-5, 3-6 and 6-2
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) to Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-3 and 6-4
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) to Norbert Gombos (SVK) 6-3 and 6-4