Cincinnati Open: Last man standing

Cincinnati, August 21

Novak Djokovic overcame a match point and stifling heat to beat world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4) and win the Cincinnati Open in a heart-pounding thriller on Sunday.

Djokovic collapsed on his back and ripped his shirt open after triumphing in the nearly four-hour contest to get revenge for his loss to the young Spaniard in last month’s Wimbledon final.

“So much to say and so little energy,” Djokovic said while collecting his third Cincinnati Open title. “It has been a rollercoaster and definitely one of the toughest and most exciting matches that I’ve ever been a part of in any tournament. It did feel like a Grand Slam final, even more than that, to be honest,” he added. The Serb was hobbled by the intense humidity in the tail end of the first set, barely moving when Alcaraz hit a backhand winner to grab the opener.

Summer of Coco

Coco Gauff beat Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-4 to win the biggest title of her young career and extend her outstanding run of form on North American hardcourts ahead of the US Open.

The American teenager, seeded seventh, broke the Czech three times in the first set and confidently served out the opener to love in her first WTA 1000 final appearance. — Reuters