Preview / Schedule 2024 Cincinnati Open Day Five - Friday 16 August including Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek, Zverev and Sabalenka

The action continues on Friday at the 2024 Cincinnati Open (hopefully with a better weather forecast) as catch-up is the name of the game in the early stages. Ahead of Day Five, the schedule has been confirmed and our preview looks ahead to the top ties to watch on Friday 16 August.

Carlos Alcaraz could be in action twice, while Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev all continue their respective campaigns in top ties.

Carlos Alcaraz could win fairly comfortably on return or could be sent into a deciding set against Gael Monfils. They were locked into a tie-break on Thursday night with rain hitting Cincinnati just as Monfils sat 3-1 up in the tie-break.

The winner though will need to pull double duty with Holger Rune awaiting the winner who was one of only a few who managed to win through before the rain hit. Playing his first hard-court tournament since March and his first since winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games, he already saved set point against the French veteran who looked in the ascendancy until the rain halted play.

So it could feasibly go one of two ways on return with Monfils potentially seeing his spark go out. Or it could herald a more hungry Frenchman to try and complete the feat. Either way Rune awaits the winner come what may. That is second up on Friday.

Prior to that, Iga Swiatek faces a tough test if her first match against Varvara Gracheva is anything to go by. She faces Marta Kostyuk, the 15th seed who has been in great form as of late and came so close to winning an Olympic medal.

Something that Swiatek did achieve albeit through gritted teeth as she wanted a different colour and came close to being ousted in her first match since. So an interesting dynamic at play there.

While Jannik Sinner is always a doubt at the moment due to his hip injury. The Italian though soldiers on and wIll face off against Jordan Thompson aiming to spring a shock on Friday afternoon prior to Rune facing the winner of that Monfils-Alcaraz duel.

There is then an auspicious WTA match still to be added to the schedule from the remaining ties and likely depends on how the other courts shape out and whether there can also be catch-up completed in other ties. But both Centre Court and Holcim Stadium 3 have WTA ties pencilled in that are yet to be confirmed. Frances Tiafoe completes the Centre Court slate facing a resurgent Jiri Lehecka.

Over on Grandstand, it is Alexander Zverev who faces Pablo Carreno Busta. Such has been the lay-off with the Spaniard that he has and to use a protected ranking to get in but he is a dangerous player on his day. But hasn't hit the heights he set by winning Canada previously.

Queenwen won Olympic gold and she will also be in action on Friday. Qinwen Zheng faces Magdalena Frech before the two top WTA ties of the day aside from another which was halted yesterday. Aryna Sabalenka is set to face off against Elina Svitolina. A Head to Head that has produced close matches in the past but ultimately has seen Sabalenka lead 3-1 thus far with only one win for Svitolina back in 2020. Will that continue?

Then onto a big opportunity as Diana Shnaider who has emerged as one of the players to watch and a real rising star who broke into the top 20 this week faces Leylah Fernandez. A player who hasn't lied up to the hype that got her to the US Open final. Albeit unlike Raducanu, she has been fairly steady since that point. She took down Elena Rybakina on Thursday.

Albeit where Fernandez' game is compared to Shnaider is a bit of a mystery given that the Canadian almost pounced on a languid display from Rybakina over any actual heroics with a myriad of double faults and errors handing it to her on a plate. Either we get though yet another Quarter-Final for Shnaider or Fernandez rises again. She performed poorly in Canada so the hope will be on her end that she can add a Shnaider scalp to erase that disappointment.

Other ties on Friday include Casper Ruud finally facing Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton takes on Fabian Marozsan. The winner of the former tie will also have to play Jack Draper on Friday. Shunted onto an outside court, Mirra Andreeva will also face Jasmine Paolini. While we will finally get the Jessica Pegula v Karolina Muchova clash which is one of the best of the day.

It is going to be another frenetic day in Mason, Ohio and with upsets galore on Thursday, the potential increases especially with many of the big names pulling double duty over the next day.

Iga Swiatek (POL) (1) v Marta Kostyuk (UKR) (15)

Gael Monfils (FRA) v Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) (2)

Jannik Sinner (ITA) (1) v Jordan Thompson (AUS)

Holger Rune (DEN) (15) v Gael Monfils (FRA) or Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) (2)

Followed by WTA Match

Frances Tiafoe (USA) v Jiri Lehecka (CZE)

Alexander Zverev (GER) (3) v (PR) Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)

Qinwen Zheng (CHN) (7) v (Q) Magdalena Frech (POL)

Aryna Sabalenka (3) v Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Diana Shnaider v Leylah Fernandez (CAN)

Casper Ruud (NOR) (7) or Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) v Jack Draper (GBR)

(WC) Brandon Nakashima (USA) v Andrey Rublev (6)

Casper Ruud (NOR) (7) v Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)

Ben Shelton (USA) (12) v Fabian Marozsan (HUN)

Hubert Hurkacz (POL) (5) v Flavio Cobolli (ITA)

Liudmila Samsonova (10) v (LL) Elina Avanesyan (ARM)

(WC) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Mirra Andreeva v Jasmine Paolini (ITA) (5)

Paula Badosa (ESP) v Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)

Jessica Pegula (USA) (6) v Karolina Muchova (CZE)