It is Day Five at the 2023 Cincinnati Open (Western & Southern Open) with Last 16 clashes the order of the day. The schedule is now confirmed with many top names set to adorn the preview.

Among those include Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula who are among those in action on Day Five.

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Centre Court features Monfils-Djokovic, Gauff and Alcaraz

Starting off Centre Court play will be Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova who has not had much fanfare when it has come to court allocation since winning in London. But will kick off Centre Court this evening. She faces an American though which is probably the main reasoning, Sloane Stephens awaits for Vondrousova.

Stefanos Tsitsipas follows up facing off against Hubert Hurkacz after tackling rising American star, Ben Shelton. Then it is the turn of the trio of main matches.

Carlos Alcaraz for a second week running tackles Tommy Paul and in this case the puzzle of the American who defeated the World Number One two years in a row in Toronto.

Heading to America with a 2-1 Head to Head record, was that a mere blip as Miami showed or has Paul firmly got Alcaraz' number.

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Linda Noskova, the rising 18-year-old Czech talent is the next on the line of top players from the country after of course Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Barbora Krejcikova and of course Petra Kvitova among others.

Reaching her maiden WTA Tour final this season in Adelaide, she has since had good results while not being spectacular. Recently though, she reached the Quarter-Final in Warsaw and followed that up with a final in Prague before withdrawing in Montreal.

In Cincinnati, she has won through from qualifying to the Last 16 including defeating Liudmila Samsonova and Petra Kvitova back to back. Next up is one of the most in-form players on the WTA Tour right now in Coco Gauff.

Winning DC, she then lost to eventual champion Jessica Pegula in Montreal and saw off Mayar Sherif in her opener.

Then it is the turn of Gael Monfils who doesn't seem to be giving up and despite an injury scare earlier in the week seems to be just that. He faces Novak Djokovic in the main tie to watch.

Albeit one with a scary Head to Head record. That being 18-0 to Djokovic. Both being 36, the Frenchman was mainly active during Djokovic's prime dominance and all the way back to 2005, Djokovic has beaten him.

Monfils' only win came in an F4 Italy match back in 2004, a staggering record that Djokovic who got through off Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's injury will hope to continue.

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Zverev-Medvedev, Swiatek, Pegula and Fritz set for Grandstand

As ever perhaps the main entertainment comes from Grandstand. Starting off is Alexander Zverev - Daniil Medvedev in a tie that left many purring after they both won on Wednesday. It is a 9-6 Head to Head lead for the latter who has won their last three meetings since losing the ATP Finals in 2021.

Then it is another familiar meeting as Iga Swiatek gets her wish of playing on the second court. Speaking following her opener, she said that she would prefer to be away from the spotlight so her sleep routine doesn't get ruined.

She plays not before 1:00pm so that is very likely to be the case. It is 3-0 in favour of Swiatek against the ever improving 20-year-old.

Jessica Pegula aims to continue her stellar form and faces Marie Bouzkova, the same can be said for her compatriot Taylor Fritz who faces Dusan Lajovic. Both Americans being in some of their best form of their careers right now.

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Sakkari, Rybakina, Kasatkina-Sabalenka and Jabeur all on outside courts

But even then, certain players have to play on outside courts further down the pecking order. Those include Maria Sakkari - Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina - Jasmine Paolini and Daria Kasatkina - Aryna Sabalenka.

Further up is Ons Jabeur v Donna Vekic with Stan Wawrinka and Mackenzie McDonald also in action during Day Five. Quarter-Finalists will be confirmed at the end of Thursday, with the final main tournament before the US Open reaching its business end.

Day Five Schedule - 2023 Cincinnati Open