Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev, avenging last week's defeat to the Russian in Montreal.

Sinner was eliminated from the Canadian Open by Rublev at his last tournament, having missed the Paris Olympic Games due to a bout of tonsillitis.

He fought back from a set down to avoid a repeat in blustery conditions in Ohio on Saturday, having looked to be in trouble when he faced two break points at a set down.

The world number one saved both of those points before recovering from an awkward fall to win a 26-shot rally at 4-4, ultimately serving out the second set at the second opportunity.

Sinner then held off something of a third-set resurgence from Rublev to seal a gruelling two-hour, 25-minute victory, before expressing pride at the way he responded to adversity.

"It took a lot of mental strength today," Sinner said after his win. "It was very tough conditions, very windy. 

"In the first set he started very well and I didn't play my best tennis but in the second set, I felt I had a lot of chances. I waited for my chance. I am very happy to make the semis."

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka teed up a heavyweight semi-final clash with Iga Swiatek in the women's draw, easing to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Liudmila Samsonova.

Sabalenka needed just one hour and 19 minutes to seal her win, reeling off 10 of the last 13 games to level her all-time head-to-head record with Samsonova at 2-2.

Data Debrief: Sabalenka joins exclusive club

Sabalenka is into her fourth semi-final at the Cincinnati Open, a joint-record at the competition among WTA players in the Open Era.

Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams and Simona Halep are the only other women to achieve that feat.

Carlos Alcaraz admitted he played "the worst match of his career" as he suffered a shock defeat to Gael Monfils in the Cincinnati Open on Friday.

The Spaniard started well, racing through the first set before rain delayed proceedings with the second set level at 6-6.

When play resumed 24 hours later, Monfils picked up where he left off, winning the tie-break and the final set, to book a place in the last 16 at Alcaraz's expense.

After struggling to find his footing, Alcaraz says he found it hard to adapt while playing on Centre Court.

"It was really, really tough for me. I felt like it was the worst match that I've ever played in my career. Couldn't play, honestly," Alcaraz said.

"I've been practising really well here in this tournament. The previous days, I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, you know, moving well.

"Probably I felt like it was another sport playing on the Centre Court [than] on the other courts. The balls were faster on the Centre Court bounced much, much, more than other courts.

"I don't know how I felt like this way, but, honestly, I couldn't control myself. I couldn't be better. So, this match it was impossible to win, and that's all."

Alcaraz's frustration was clear to see as he smashed his racquet on the court four times midway through the third set.

"I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racquet," Alcaraz added. "It never happened before, because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings, and most of the time I could control myself, and it could go better in the matches or in the situation that I've been feeling before.

"[This time] I couldn't control myself because, as I said, I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. So, it was really frustrating for me.

"There is some point that I want to leave the court. I don't want to be on the court anymore.

"So, it was really hurtful moment for me, and that's it. I think some players or a lot of players during their careers and during some certain moments, they can't control themselves, and it was one of those moments for me."

Alcaraz will be chasing his third grand slam title of the year at the US Open, which starts on August 26 in New York. 

Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat at the Cincinnati Open as Gael Monfils came from a set down to prevail from a rain-delayed encounter.

Monfils was 3-1 up in a second-set tie-break before rain stopped play on Thursday, but returned 24 hours later to win 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Once play resumed on Friday, Monfils continued where he left off but squandered three set points before eventually taking the tie this distance. 

Last year's runner-up Alcaraz struggled in the opening exchanges, with his French opponent finding a decisive break in the third game as Monfils took control of proceedings in Ohio. 

And Monfils' experience ultimately told, as the 37-year-old held out for the remainder of his service games to set up a meeting with Holger Rune in the last 16, condemning Alcaraz to a shock exit.

World number one Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, had no need to take to the court on his 23rd birthday, as he was handed a walkover following Jordan Thompson's withdrawal.

Data Debrief: The old head prevails

Monfils is the oldest player to defeat an opponent ranked in the ATP top-three since Jimmy Connors defeated Michael Stich in Memphis in 1992.

The world number 46 starred on serve, firing 15 aces throughout the contest compared to Alcaraz's seven, while also clawing back six of the seven break points he faced.

Alexander Zverev claimed his 50th tour-level win of the season with a straight-sets victory over Karen Khachanov in the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.

The German took just 76 minutes to ease into the next round, earning a 6-3 6-2 win while coping with a second-set rain delay.

Zverev fought back from break point in the third game to set him up for a vital break in the sixth as he took the first set.

And he raced into a 3-0 lead in the second against a spirited Khachanov, who just could not find any answers to his aggressive approach as the world number four hit 16 winners compared to the Russian's nine.

He will now play either Max Purcell or Pablo Carrena-Busta for a place in the quarter-final.

Data Debrief: Fifty up for Zverev

It is an impressive landmark for Zverev to hit, but he is also the first to register 50 wins at ATP events in 2024.

It is the fifth time the 27-year-old has won 50+ matches in a single season, and he is just the second German to do so during the Open Era, after Boris Becker.

Alex de Minaur has confirmed he will particpate in the US Open later this month despite withdrawing from the men's singles at the Paris Olympics. 

De Minaur sustained a hip injury against Arthur Fils at Wimbledon that forced him to withdraw from his quarter-final match against Novak Djokovic. 

The Australian did still compete in the men's doubles at the Games alongside Alexei Popyrin, but lost in the first round to beaten finalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. 

De Minaur's best finish at Flushing Meadows came in 2020 when he reached the quarter-finals, losing to eventual champion Dominic Thiem in three sets. 

The world number 10 has also reached the same stage in his two grand slam appearances this year at the Australian Open and French Open. 

"Been working hard trying to recover from my injury," De Minaur wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

"It’s been very tough missing tournaments and excited to say I’ll be playing US open. Thanks to all the support I’ve gotten, it’s definitely helped me through these tough times."

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka and fellow former winners Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem and Bianca Andreescu were given wildcards for the upcoming US Open. 

Osaka, who lost in the final round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open, won the first of her four grand slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2018, winning again two years later. 

The former world number one returned to the tour this season after giving birth last year, but has struggled to find the form that led her to climb to the top of the rankings. 

The Japanese is now ranked 90th in the WTA rankings, with her best finishes coming in Doha and 's-Hertogenbosch where she reached the quarter-finals in both. 

She will be joined in the women's singles by Canada's Andreescu, who was crowned the US Open champion after her win over Serena Williams in 2019. 

The 24-year-old returned to action this year after missing nine months due to a back injury and reached the French Open third round in her first event back.

Meanwhile, Thiem headlines the wildcards in the men's singles in what will be the final grand slam of his career after confirming he will retire at the end of the season. 

The Austrian won the US Open in 2020 in an epic five-match thriller against Alexander Zverev, but has failed to his best form after sustaining a wrist injury three years ago. 

Also returning thanks to a wildcard is Wawrinka, eight years on from when he claimed the title in New York against Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows. 

The 39-year-old's triumph in the United States was the latest of his three career grand slams, having previously prevailed at the Australian Open and French Open. 

Daniil Medvedev suffered consecutive opening game losses as he was dumped out of the Cincinnati Open by Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. 

Medvedev, who was beaten by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Montreal last week, endured another early exit, losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in just under two hours against the Czech.

“It’s amazing to be back, to be honest. To get a win against such a talented player as Daniil surely is, is just such a bonus for me," Lehecka said on being back in his first tournament in three months after injury.

Lehecka squandered four game points in the opener, with Medvedev also missing an opportunity for an early break, but the Czech was able to hold his opening serve. 

The pair traded blows for the remainder, but the world number five struggled in the tiebreak, losing three games in a row to hand Lehecka the advantage. 

And the decisive moment came in the seventh game of the second, as Lehecka broke Medvedev's serve, edging closer to a memorable triumph. 

The Czech missed four match points in the final two games, but was not to be denied a fifth time, ending the encounter with a fierce serve to set up a meeting with Frances Tiafoe in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Lehecka continues winning return in Cincinnati

Since 1990, Lehecka is now the fourth player ranked outside the ATP's top 30 to claim top five wins at three ATP Masters 1000 events in a season after Gaston Gaudio (2001), Hicham Arazi (2001) and Tommy Paul (2022). 

Excluding the ATP Tour Finals, Medvedev has been defeated in three consecutive ATP matches on hard court for the first time since October in 2017.

Jannik Sinner began his Cincinnati Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 win over Alex Michelsen, bouncing back from his injury scare at the Canadian Open last week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev in Montreal last time out, appearing to struggle with a hip issue throughout that loss after missing the Paris Olympics due to a bout of tonsillitis. 

However, the Italian played down any concerns over his fitness ahead of his last-32 match in Cincinnati, where he was pushed all the way by Michelsen but held firm to advance.

Sinner had to save eight break points in one hour and 52 minutes on court, committing as many unforced errors (19) as his American opponent.

However, breaks in the very first game of the opener and the penultimate game of the second set proved decisive for the Australian Open winner, who will now face either Sebastian Baez or Jordan Thompson for a quarter-final place.

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back from his first-round Canadian Open exit at the hands of Kei Nishikori, fighting from a set and a break down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Speaking after his win, Tsitsipas – who will face Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next – said: "I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. 

"Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working."

Data Debrief: Sinner looking to stay perfect

Sinner's victory improved his record on hard courts to 25-2 for the season, and a first quarter-final berth at Cincinnati is now within his sights.

He has reached at least the last eight at all five ATP 1000 Masters tournaments he has played this year, though his only such title came in Miami in March.

Carlos Alcaraz said he will remember this summer "for the rest of his life" despite his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics. 

Alcaraz, who has already won two grand slams at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, finished with a silver medal at the Games earlier this month. 

The Spaniard will take part in this week's Cincinnati Open where he will face either Gael Monfils or recent Canadian Open winner Alexei Popyrin in the second round. 

Alcaraz has the opportunity to claim a second US Open title in two weeks time, but had the chance to reflect on an incredible few months ahead of his first match in Ohio. 

“It has been some incredible months in my life and career after winning Roland-Garros, a tournament that I was very excited to win, and of course Wimbledon, which is wonderful to be able to win it,” Alcaraz told the ATP Tour.

“Also, one of my dreams was to win an Olympic medal. I have enjoyed a lot these last few months. They were incredible and I enjoyed it a lot.

“I am also very happy with my tennis and the way I handled different situations. I think I have improved a lot as a player, so I am very happy.

“Of course, in tennis the season is not over, and we have to carry on pushing our best in each tournament but, of course, I will remember these months [for] the rest of my life.”

Alcaraz also partnered up with fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at Roland-Garros during the Olympics in the French capital. 

The Spanish pair, dubbed 'Nadalcaraz' at the Games, lost in the quarter-finals to America's fourth-seeded duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in straight sets. 

And while his journey with the 22-time grand slam champion fell short of a medal, Alcaraz said it was a dream come true to play alongside one of his sporting heroes. 

“It was a great experience, talking with Rafa off the court, knowing each other much better off the court. It was a great experience, obviously, playing doubles together," Alcaraz said.

“It was something that I will never forget, for sure. I learned a lot talking to him on court, off the court as well.

“I think we played great tennis in doubles, even if we are not used to playing doubles very often.

“A little bit disappointing at the end, because we thought that we could do it better, but in general, we were happy.

“Obviously talking about myself, I reached my dream, my dream came true, playing doubles alongside Rafa.”

Jannik Sinner played down any injury concerns and said he was looking forward to starting his Cincinnati Open campaign this week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open in Montreal and was seen holding his hip at various stages of the encounter.

Nevertheless, the world number one said his only real concern was returning to the intensity of matches after skipping the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis. 

"I feel quite good. Obviously, I made nearly one week without practising before, and then after playing for two-three days in a row, a bit more than usual, (that) could (have had) a potential impact to the hip," Sinner told reporters.

"But I'm not afraid. I feel good with the hip, and I'm just looking forward to going back on court here."

Sinner holds a poor record in Cincinatti, having never advanced to the quarter-finals, and was the victim of a shock loss to Dusan Lajovic in the round of 32 last year. 

However, the Italian is confident of a better run this time around, starting with an opening against either Tallon Griekspoor or Alex Michelsen. 

"Here usually I struggle a little bit to play because of the conditions but I'm looking forward to see my reaction this year, because it's a great test," said Sinner. 

The Australian Open champion believes a good tournament can act as a perfect platform for the final slam of the year in New York, which begins at the end of this month.

"I believe this tournament can give you a lot of confidence for the US Open, which is the last grand slam we have," Sinner said.  

"So in my mind, this is a very important tournament. "We go day by day. I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis."

Alexei Popyrin declared his victory at the Canadian Open “means the world” after he defeated Andrey Rublev in straight sets to claim his maiden ATP 1000 title.

Popyrin won 6-2 6-4 to become the first player to win the Canadian Open title in their first main draw appearance in 17 years. The last player to do so was 24-time Grand Slam singles winner Novak Djokovic in 2003.

The 25-year-old defied the odds to beat favourite and world number six Rublev in his third defeat of a top-10 opponent in Montreal.

For the current world number 62, it was a sign that all the effort had been worth it.

"It means the world, for all the hard work I've put in over the years, all the sacrifices I have made," said Popyrin.

"Not just me, but my family, my girlfriend, my team, everybody around me. They have sacrificed their whole lives for me and for me to win this for them is just amazing."

The victory also makes Popyrin the first Australian to win a Masters 1000 since Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells in 2003.

He became the fourth-lowest ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion, just two weeks after being defeated by Alexander Zverev on clay courts in the round of 16 in the Olympics men’s singles.

Popyrin fared better against Rublev, who remained optimistic about his performance despite the upset.

“It's a very positive and really good week. [It’s a] really big step forward, and I feel proud of myself that I was able to be really good all the week mentally,” reflected Rublev.

“If we compare my match against him at Monte-Carlo when I was losing, I was behaving 10 times more, and it was first round.

“Here it was a final. Much more pressure. Yes, I still showed a bit emotions today, but compare the matches when I was losing the same way, I think I did much better job.

“That's why I had a little chance in the second set, but it was just not my time I guess.”

Alexei Popyrin overcame Andrey Rublev in straight sets to win his maiden ATP 1000 title at the Canadian Open.

Popyrin won 6-2 6-4 to complete a remarkable run in Montreal, becoming the fourth-lowest-ranked player to win an ATP 1000 title in the process.

The Australian saved the three break points he faced in set one and, despite dropping a game in the second set, immediately hit back to take the impetus away from Rublev, who had stunned world number one Jannik Sinner en route to the final.

It marked Popyrin's third victory over a top-10 opponent at the tournament, while he also snapped Sebastian Korda's eight-match winning streak in the semi-finals.

Data Debrief: Popyrin ends Aussie wait

Popyrin became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to win a Masters 1000 trophy.

That victory for Hewitt came at Indian Wells in 2003, when Popyrin was only three years old.

Andrey Rublev said reaching the Canadian Open was "worth the wait", while it also backed up his decision to skip the Paris Olympics.

Rublev made the call not to participate at Roland-Garros as he instead focused on readying himself for the North American swing.

And the Russian's US Open preparations stepped up another gear as he defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-2 on Sunday to reach the final of the Canadian Open for the first time in his career.

Rublev had to overcome a rain delay in the process of defeating the Italian in Montreal.

"The wait has been worth it. I'm happy to be in my first Canadian final." Rublev said, as reported by the ATP's official website.

"I just want to recover, rest well and be ready for [the final].

"The idea [of not going to the Olympics] was to be more ready for Canada, so if I'm in the final it means we did really well."

Rublev will go up against someone who was competing at the Olympics when he faces Alexei Popyrin on Monday.

In his second match of the day, Popyrin ended Sebastian Korda's eight-match winning streak to prevail 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 and progress to the first ATP 1000 final of his career.

"It means the world, it's an amazing achievement for myself to be honest, and sometimes you have to pat yourself on the back," said Popyrin.

"I'll do that, but it's all hands on deck and back to work.

"It was a topsy-turvy first set with some breaks here and there. I had some points at 5-4 but played some sloppy points and didn't convert.

"I just stayed mentally strong and I knew exactly what I was going to do on my next break point if I got an opportunity."

Popyrin (62) is the lowest-ranked player to reach the final of the Canadian Open in the men's singles since Harel Levy, a qualifier, in 2000.

Sebastian Korda booked his place in the semi-finals of the Canadian Open after knocking out number two seed Alexander Zverev in three sets.

The American egded the entertaining clash in a third-set decider, eventually emerging a 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 6-4 victor in two hours and 19 minutes on Court Central. 

Zverev started the encounter in Toronto on the front foot, earning a break of serve in the second game as he raced into a 3-0 lead early on. 

However, his American opponent would fight back, winning three games in row to level the scores, maintaining his momentum to triumph in a first-set tiebreak. 

But Zverev would respond emphatically, however, cruising through the second set without breaking a sweat to take the pairs first ever encounter the distance. 

Korda and Zverev would hold their respective serve, but the German would be the first to blink, losing the ninth game on serve to hand his opponent the advantage. 

And the American would grasp the opportunity with both hands, ending the encounter with a fierce serve as Zverev sent the ball high and and long. 

Korda will face the winner of Hubert Hurkacz and Alexei Popyrin for a place in Monday's final. 

Data Debrief: Korda continues impressive run

Korda can't stop winning at the moment, with his success in Toronto making it the fouth consecutive semi-final he has reached in as many events. 

The world number 18 won 11 of his 15 service games, also saving five of the nine break points he faced in Toronto. 

Andrey Rublev pulled off a shock in the Canadian Open quarter-final, knocking out an ailing Jannik Sinner in three sets.

The world number one pulled out of the Olympics due to illness and appeared to be struggling with a recurring hip injury as he was beaten 6-3 1-6 6-2 in Montreal on Saturday.

In a rain-hit match, Rublev took the first set before Sinner rallied to force a decider but he could not retain his momentum as the Russian snapped his eight-match winning streak on hard courts.

"It was a really great match of mine. I was playing really well today, and I'm happy that I was able to win," Rublev said.

"I don't know, not much to say, because I still, for the moment, really don't understand what's happening, because Jannik is an amazing player and he's playing unbelievable for the past two years.

"I was just hoping that I would be able to fight with him, to show great tennis. In the end, I think we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of long rallies.

"To be able to win this kind of match, of course, it's always special. I needed those matches, especially after some bad moments this year. So, of course I'm happy."

Since the start of the 2020 season, Rublev is now one of four players to defeat the ATP's number one on multiple surfaces, along with Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev prevailed in straight sets against Rune earlier on Saturday to reach the last eight with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win.

Excluding team events, Zverev is now in an 11th ATP-level quarter-final in 2024. It is the most of any player this season, while the German (11) is one of just two to reach 10+ ATP event QFs this year, along with Sinner (10).