Cincinnati 2021: Jannik Sinner vs Federico Delbonis preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open
Match details
Fixture: (11) Jannik Sinner vs Federico Delbonis
Tournament: 2021 Western & Southern Open
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Cincinnati, Ohio
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $3,028,140
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jannik Sinner vs Federico Delbonis preview
Jannik Sinner, who turns 20 on Monday, will begin his 2021 Cincinnati Masters campaign against Federico Delbonis in the first round.
Sinner suffered an opening-round exit at the Canadian Open, losing to Australian James Duckworth in straight sets. However, it was not a surprising result given the Italian had expended a lot of energy winning the singles title at the Citi Open as well as the doubles title in Atlanta.
Having gotten a week's worth of rest, Sinner will be eager to make an impact at the Western & Southern Open. This will be the Italian's first appearance in the main-draw at Cincinnati; he was beaten in the first qualifying round by Salvatore Caruso in 2020.
Since then, however, Sinner's game has improved by leaps and bounds. He has changed his service motion twice and is now reaping the rewards.
His first opponent in Cincinnati will be Federico Delbonis, who is making his fourth appearance in the main draw of the Masters 1000 event. However, he has never progressed beyond the second round.
Delbonis will be playing on a hardcourt for the first time since participating in the Miami Open way back in March. The Argentine has a sound 23-16 win-loss record this year but is 0-2 on hardcourts.
Jannik Sinner vs Federico Delbonis head-to-head
Jannik Sinner and Federico Delbonis have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Jannik Sinner vs Federico Delbonis prediction
Jannik Sinner is the favorite to win this match, provided he is not fatigued. While Federico Delbonis is quick around the court and has good defensive skills, he lacks the raw power to go toe-to-toe with the young Italian.
Sinner is among the cleanest ball-strikers on the men's tour at the moment and if he finds his range, he will be a hard man to stop. The Italian hits with power and precision, making it difficult for players to stick with him from the baseline.
The key for the Argentine would be to ensure his serve does not let him down. The angles he can produce on his lefty serve can cause the Ital a few headaches.
If Delbonis can stay with Sinner on the scoreboard, he could pile the pressure on the Italian, who has a tendency to falter in crunch moments.
That said, Sinner has displayed maturity in his shot selection in recent weeks and is unlikely to suffer yet another early exit from a Masters 1000 tournament.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.