Another Masters 1000 is holding the headlines this week, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio. Last week was about the old vs new age as Alexander Zverev and even Denis Shapovalov put in some serious statements in terms of tennis delivery. So, another week is unfolding although the stakes are a bit different. With Rafael Nadal confirmed as the new world No. 1 from next Monday, the stage is set for another show. Juan Martin del Potro and Nick Kyrgios are the first big names that made it through the inaugural round. While most of the top 10 players are out due to a cornucopia of injuries of any kind, some may step in and make their own moves.
The Argentine and the young Aussie tennis star are among those who can take the most out of an opportunity like this one.
Del Potro got past Tomas Berdych in three sets
Currently ranked 30th in the world, Juan Martin del Potro had a difficult task in the round of 64. The odds put Tomas Berdych (15 ATP) at the other end of the court. Entering the match, the Argentine was leading 4-3 in head to head stats. The opening act saw Berdych being more aggressive especially on his opponent's serve. the strategy paid off as del Potro lost his serve, basically handing over the opening set to the Czech player. The balance was the key word of the second set, as it all went down to a tie-break where the 2009 US Open champion cruised past Berdych.
With the momentum on his side, the former world No. 4 made an impressive run in the decisive set winning it by 6-0. In the round of 32, he will face Mitchell Krueger (244 ATP) who stunned Benoit Paire (41 ATP) in the opening round.
Nick Kyrgios in total control against David Goffin
The 22-year-old Aussie tennis star is having a great time in Cincinnati, cruising past David Goffin in the inaugural round.
Entering the match, the world No. 23 was leading by 2-0 the 26-year-old Belgian. His previous two wins were also acquired on hard court, and the recipe remained the same as Kyrgios raced past Goffin in straight sets 2-6 3-6 in a bit over an hour of play. In the next round, Kyrgios will face Alexandr Dolgopolov (71 ATP) who made it past Kevin Anderson in the round of 64.
On the other side, David Goffin is still miles away from that pace of last spring on the European red clay. Coming back from an injury makes things even harder. Kyrgios is on a collision course with Rafael Nadal for the quarterfinals. The Spaniard would love to celebrate the freshly regained world No. 1 spot by winning a second time in Cincinnati.
