After an unsuccessful return at the 2024 Canadian Open, where he 'only' made the quarter-final, Jannik Sinner is back to a quarter-final stage at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.
It has been an interesting few weeks for the Italian, who had high hopes for this summer. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone that well so far. His Wimbledon was derailed by a sickness, which turned out to be tonsillitis, which also prevented him from playing at the Paris Olympics.
That was a tough pill for Sinner to swallow, but he had to, as playing was out of the question. His recovery went smoother than that of Andrey Rublev, who lamented his battle with tonsillitis for a few weeks.
Due to the quick recovery, the Italian was able to make an early trip to Montreal for the Canadian Open. His preparation was very good there, but the end result wouldn't be the one he imagined as he made the quarter-final but then lost to Rublev in three sets.
Some issues with his leg caused concern, but the Italian dismissed any injury suggestions ahead of the 2024 Cincinnati Open. Things have looked good so far in Cincinnati for him, as he won his second-round match comfortably.
The opponent was native player Alex Michelsen, who came through the qualifiers picking up some nice form, and it was a competitive match. However, the youngster proved no match for Sinner overall, as the Italian won in two sets.
That set up a fascinating matchup with Jordan Thompson, who has also been playing good tennis lately. The Australian reached the Atlanta Open final a few weeks ago, losing to Yoshihito Nishioka in three sets.
He then reached the quarter-final at the Citi Open in Washington, where he bested Reilly Opelka, among other players, and won another huge match over Jack Draper in Montreal.
He has generally been playing really good tennis, and Sinner wouldn't find it easy to defeat him, especially after the Australian had already played two great matches in Cincinnati.
He took down Ugo Humbert in three sets in the first round and added another win over Sebastian Baez in the second round. Unfortunately for fans, about 30 minutes before the match was supposed to take place, Thompson withdrew from the event for unspecified reasons.
It's a huge shame for Thompson and fans in Cincinnati, as the Australian probably liked his chances in this match, and opted to preserve his health ahead of the last Grand Slam of the season.
His very solid and consistent play can be a danger for Sinner, who generally prefers matchups where he can get the other player into a hitting contest, in which he can beat most of the opponents.
A patient player like Thompson, who enjoys a longer rally, isn't the best matchup for him, so in that sense, Sinner will be glad to move on without having to face him.
The downside of not playing a match is that he might lose his rhythm, as he will now have a couple of days between his matches. Either way, he's in the quarter-finals, which is the best-ever result in Cincinnati, and once again, he will play against Rublev.
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