Cincinnati Masters 2019 Final, Daniil Medvedev vs David Goffin: Preview and Prediction
The Masters 1000 tournaments have so long been dominated by a select few that a final featuring two relative outsiders is bound to surprise. The 2019 Western & Southern Open final, which will be contested by David Goffin and Daniil Medvedev, is just that anomaly.
Both the players are vying for the biggest titles of their careers and have played impressive tennis to reach this point. Medvedev, in particular, has been impressive in his victories. He outlasted the World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in their semi-final clash to make back-to-back Masters 1000 finals and will be brimming with confidence.
Medvedev had come up short in his final at the Rogers Cup against Rafael Nadal last week, but the Russian was quick to put the disappointment behind him. He blazed through the draw, reaching the last-four without dropping a set all week. And against a tough opponent like Djokovic, he stepped up his game and delivered a big win.
There are not many players on the tour who have won as many matches as Medvedev has this year and that makes him a favourite for the title, not just in Cincinnati, but in the upcoming tournaments as well.
Goffin, on the other hand, had a stroke of luck this week. The top seeds in his half, Nadal and Dominic Them, withdrew from the tournament and he even received a walkover in the quarter-finals.
But that won't take away anything from the good work put in by the Belgian this week. He was a force to reckon with in his semi-final clash against Richard Gasquet. His movement was sublime on the day and he served well throughout the match, not giving Gasquet too much to play with.
He will have to play at a similar level to challenge a very assured Medvedev. It will not be a match between two powerful hitters, but between two players with wonderful court craft. One can expect the two to use the geometry of the court well and mix up their shots well to outwit the other.
Medvedev has been on the brink of something major for a while now and this might be his chance to announce his arrival on the big stage.
Prediction: Medvedev to win in straight sets.