Cincinnati Masters 2019: 6 major talking points from the tournament
Daniil Medvedev made headlines at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters, beating David Goffin in the final to become the third first-time Masters 1000 champions of the season, the 69th player to triumph at a Masters 1000 tournament and the 18th active player to do so.
The seventh Masters 1000 tournament of the year produced a few other headlines too, featuring players who didn't go all the way but had their share of the limelight nevertheless.
Here's summarising some of the major headlines from the Cincinnati Masters:
#1 Super Daniil makes Masters 1000 breakthrough
23-year-old Daniil Medvedev bagged the biggest title of his young career by overcoming Belgian David Goffin in straight sets in the Cincinnati final. The win sealed a second title of the season for the Russian (fifth overall) in his second Masters final.
The Russian, playing in his third tournament in as many weeks, capped an exhausting three-week stint on the North American hardcourts with his 14th win in 16 matches over 20 days, following runner-up finishes to Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal at Washington DC and Montreal respectively.
The Cincinnati title lifts Medvedev to a career-high no. 5 in the ATP rankings. The Russian leads the tour with most match wins (44) and most hardcourt wins (31).
#2 Goffin makes first Masters 1000 final
David Goffin beat Richard Gasquet in straight sets to reach a maiden Masters 1000 final in his fifth attempt, but a loss to Medvedev in the summit clash put paid to his hopes of becoming the first Belgian champion at a Masters 1000 event. However, following his run to the Cincinnati title match, Goffin moves into the top 15 for the first time in over a year.