CINCINNATI: Top-ranked Daniil Medvedev committed 11 double-faults in falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-3 in Sunday’s semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters.
Medvedev helped seal his own fate in the sixth game of the final set as he double-faulted four times to hand his Greek opponent to a 4-2 lead.
Tsitsipas will play for the title on Sunday against Croatian Borna Coric, who returned to an ATP Masters final for the first time in four years by defeating Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.
Tsitsipas won only his third match against Medvedev after losing seven and also defeated a reigning number one player for only the second time in 12 career attempts.
The fourth seed put a winner into the corner on the first of three match points to earn the final.
Medvedev returns to final four in Cincinnati, Rybakina out
“I knew I would have a difficult task in the third set,” Tsitsipas said. “He made it a very physical match, very demanding.
Moreover, in the women’s semi-finals, French qualifier Caroline Garcia survived two rain breaks and advanced to the final by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Garcia will play for the title on Sunday against Czech Petra Kvitova, who constructed a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3 comeback triumph over American Madison Keys.
Garcia is the first qualifier to ever reach the championship match at a Masters tournament.
Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner who played the semi-finals in 2012 and 2018, will be aiming for her 30th career title in her first Cincinnati final.
Garcia maintained control over sixth seed Sabalenka in their contest, where the weather interruptions totaled four hours. She broke six times in a match comprising two hours of actual play.
“What a day it has been,” number 35 Garcia said. “Last night I was excited to be in the semi-finals.
