By Matthew Marolf
Tuesday brings us another jam-packed schedule, highlighted by the male and female GOAT.
Roger Federer vs. Peter Gojowczyk
This will be Federer’s first match since Wimbledon, where a true rarity occurred: Roger lost despite being up by two sets and holding a match point. In limiting his schedule later in his career, Federer decided to skip the Rogers Cup and use Cincinnati as his only US Open warmup. I’m sure the extra week off following Wimbledon was a factor, but so too may have been Roger’s success in the state of Ohio. Federer has won this tournament seven times, while he’s only twice prevailed in Canada. The fast pace of the hard courts in Cincinnati please the 20-time Major champion. This will actually be Federer’s first match against the 29-year-old German, who earlier this summer hit a career-high ranking of 39th following the best twelve months he’s had on tour. Gojowczyk has twice been a finalist this year, in Delray Beach and Geneva, and won his only ATP title last September in Metz. Roger should comfortably win this one, but let’s see how sharp he is after five weeks off.
Other notable men’s matches on Tuesday:
David Goffin vs. last week’s breakout star, Stefanos Tsitsipas
Kyle Edmund vs. Denis Shapovalov
Borna Coric vs. Daniil Medvedev
Petra Kvitova vs. Serena Williams
Following the worst loss of her career just two weeks, where she won only one game against Johanna Konta, Serena looked like a different player last night as she easily dispatched of Daria Gavrilova. But the two-time Wimbledon champion will be a huge step up in competition. Kvitova already has five titles in 2018, though all that tennis may have taken a lot out of her. Petra has just two wins in her last three tournaments. She’s also just 6-6 lifetime in Cincinnati, and hasn’t been passed this round since 2013. It’s well documented how Kvitova is not fond of hot and humid conditions. Serena holds a 5-1 record against Petra, though they haven’t played in over three years. Kvitova actually won their last meeting, in 2015 on the clay of Madrid. Petra is the player closest to her best form, but the head-to-head and conditions will favour Serena. This match will be a good indication of where both Major champions are headed into the US Open.
Other notable women’s matches on Tuesday:
Karolina Pliskova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
Naomi Osaka vs. Maria Sakkari
Elina Svitolina vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
Caroline Garcia vs. Victoria Azarenka
