Stefanos Tsitsipas missed out on another ATP Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati by once again squandering a lead. It happened against Opelka and now against Zverev with the Greek visibly disappointed after the match. For Zverev it proved a great comeback win similar to the one against Djokovic in Tokyo.
He even noted a similarity saying:
"After the first break [to get to 2-4] I thought I had a chance and I felt he wasn’t serving bombs and that I was in the rallies. It was a little bit of the mentality that I had against Novak at the Olympics.”
Tsitsipas and Zverev are fierce rivals which was confirmed after the match by Zverev who explained their relationship as:
“It’s a great rivalry, there is a lot of fire and emotion there. And before the US Open we didn’t want to give each other anything, which is what the match showed. It was a great battle and the last matches we have played have been like that.”
Zverev admitted to fighting an upset stomach during the match which caused a dip in energy that almost cost him the match. He explained:
“I didn’t feel well. In the middle of the second set, I felt low energy and my stomach wasn’t great. I broke him at 4-2 in the third and went outside the court and did my thing. I started to feel better, the doctor came out and gave me a little medicine and my stomach started to calm down a little. The energy came back but I think that was also adrenaline.”