PRODUCING another incredible performance, world number one Jannik Sinner was able to close out the 2024 Cincinnati Open final in straight sets over Frances Tiafoe and become the first player to win two ATP 1000 titles this year.

Sinner had a hard slog getting to the final, needing to grind past Top 10 players Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev to even reach the final. It looked like the Italian number one was in for another tough battle against local hope Tiafoe when the American pushed him to a first set tiebreaker. Able to get out of that jam, Sinner finished off strong winning six of the last eight games to secure the title, 7-6 6-2.

“It was a very difficult week, tough week. I’m very happy about about today’s match,” Sinner said post-match. “It was very tough mentally. Had such an amazing run here, and I tried to do my best today. We both were quite tired from yesterday. We both felt a lot of tension, but I’m very glad about [the] level I played today, especially in the important moments.”

Sinner needed 96 minutes to post the win on Center Court in what was his fifth meeting with the 20th ranked Tiafoe. Having met four times in the quarter finals stage of a tournament or later, and once at the Next Gen ATP Finals back in 2019, Tiafoe’s only victory came in a come-from-behind win in Vienna back in 2021.

The title was Sinner’s 15th ATP Tour title, with Cincinnati being the Italian’s fifth of the year and second ATP 1000 after Miami. The number one seed will focus his attention on the US Open where he is hoping to win his second Grand Slam title.

Sinner produced 13 aces to five, and won 85 and 76 per cent of his first and second serves in a dominant performance. Saving all three break points he faced, Sinner was able to break twice in the second set from a total of eight break points in the mach. In the end, Sinner’s impenetrable serve proved the difference between the players.

“It has been a tough week, some ups and downs, which is normal to have,” Sinner said. “But how I handled the very important moments in each match, I’m very happy.

”Now, for sure, it’s important to recover, to be to be ready for New York. This is our main goal here for this U.S. swing. “I’m very happy to be in a position where I am and just trying to keep going mentally, having this hunger to keep playing, and hopefully I can show some good tennis also New York.”