FULL DRAW 🖨

Full Printable Draw PDF 🖨 (Singles)

QUALIES:

DRAW TL;DR

Top Half - QF’s If Seeds Hold

🇷🇸 Djokovic (1) vs Khachanov (8) 🇷🇺

🇨🇭 Federer (3) vs Tsitsipas (5) 🇬🇷

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Bottom Half - QF’s If Seeds Hold

🇦🇹 Thiem (4) vs Zverev (7) 🇩🇪

🇪🇸 Nadal (2) vs Nishikori (6) 🇯🇵

PROJECTED PATHS FOR TOP 4 SEEDS

Djokovic (1) (Top Half)

R1: Bye

R2: Querrey/Herbert

R3: Isner/Simon/Lajovic

QF: Khachanov/Kyrgios/Pouille/Fognini

SF: Federer/Tsitsipas

F: Nadal/Thiem/Zverev et al

Summary: Novak drew the short straw getting Federer in his half instead of Thiem, and the Serb’s overall path could be tricky. Querrey could be a nasty 1st Rd (if the American gets through Herbert), but Djokovic then may have a bit of ‘respite’ with a very out of form Isner, or Simon, in Rd 3. Both of those should be fine for the world No.1, unless they play well above their recent level.

The QF is where it gets interesting. Kyrgios is the matchup most want to see at this stage, although whether Nick will be able to get through Sonego, Khachanov and Pouille/Fognini first, is another question altogether. Khachanov may well be tired after his good week in Montreal, so the Kyrgios Djokovic QF may actually happen (JINX incoming).

If anything like Novak’s best form shows up, the only real pre-semi-final banana skin, in current form, is Kyrgios in the quarters.

Prediction: Quarter-Final or Title

Federer (3) (Top Half)

R1: Bye

R2: Berrettini/Londero

R3: Dimitrov/Wawrinka/Basilashvili

QF: Tsitsipas/Medvedev

SF: Djokovic/Khachanov/Kyrgios

F: Nadal/Zverev/Thiem et al

Summary: Possibly nasty draw. Rd 2 should be straightforward for Federer, as this’ll be Berrettini’s first event back from ankle injury (and I’m not sure the Italian is fully fit yet). But a Rd 3 against Wawrinka could be a stern early test. Historically Cincy has played fast enough to majorly favour Federer if a match did occur between the two, but that’s still a tougher early potential matchup than Fed would have liked. Another match vs Tsitsipas would be great viewing in the quarters, but Stefanos isn’t playing his best tennis at the moment, and may have to go through nemesis Medvedev to get there. Tough to call how far Fed will go, especially as it’s his first event back since *that* Wimbledon final. I wouldn’t be surprised with a title, and also wouldn’t be surprised if he lost in the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Quarter-Final or Semi-Final.

Thiem (4) (Bottom Half)

R1: Bye

R2: A.Murray/Gasquet

R3: Cilic/Schwartzman

QF: Zverev/RBA/FAA

SF: Nadal/Nishikori

F: Djokovic/Federer

Summary: Tough road ahead for Thiem. It would have been difficult for the Austrian if he was currently in good form, and he wasn't about to play on a quick-ish hard court. But he isn’t and he is, and that makes this draw even nastier. Gasquet (Rd2) was playing great tennis in Montreal, before losing to RBA. And despite Thiem just having beaten Cilic (Rd3) a day or so ago, I doubt he’ll relish a rematch on a slightly slicker surface. If Thiem makes it that far, it’s a bit of a lottery who he’ll meet in the QF’s or SF’s. But frankly the Austrian will do well to make it there on this surface.

Prediction: Rd 3.

Nadal (2) (Bottom Half)

R1: Bye

R2: Mannarino/Garin

R3: Goffin/Fritz/Qualifier

QF: Nishikori/Coric

SF: Thiem/Cilic/RBA/FAA/Zverev

F: Djokovic/Federer

Summary: Good draw for Nadal. Avoids Federer until the final, and gets Thiem, Zverev and Nishikori as his big seeds. The former two are not in good (hard court) form (both looked awful yesterday in Montreal), and Nishikori looked very up and down vs Gasquet this week. Mannarino or Garin could be an interesting first test (Mannarino especially on the fast-ish Cincy courts), but Rafa should come through without too much trouble. Goffin or Fritz, again, could both be interesting, but as long as Nadal actually turns up he should be fine. It’s then a bit of a lottery for who Rafa would meet in the QF & SF. Nishikori or Coric (QF) could easily lose early, and the lineup of possible semi-final opponents from that section is longer than Jack Sock’s list of ex-girlfriends.

(This could all be moot btw. If Nadal wins Montreal (currently in the semi’s), he may elect to skip Cincy like he did last year.)

Prediction: If he plays, Final. (I’m assuming he won’t if he’s tired or hurting even a little bit after Montreal)

EARLY MATCHES TO WATCH OUT FOR 🔥

🔥 - Potentially Good

🔥🔥 - Potentially Great

🍿 - GRAB THE POPCORN

🍌 - Potential Banana Skin

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Rd 1’s:

Fognini vs Shapovalov (this may not happen given Fabio’s ankle injury)

Wawrinka vs Dimitrov 🤷‍♂️

Medvedev vs Edmund

Verdasco vs Paire

Monfils vs Tiafoe 🔥

Bautista Agut vs Hurkacz 🔥🔥

Murray vs Gasquet 🔥🍌

Coric vs Opelka 🍌

Goffin vs Fritz 🔥🔥🍌

—

Rd 2's (possible):

Djokovic vs Querrey 🔥🍌

Fognini/Shapovalov vs Pouille

Kyrgios vs Khachanov 🔥🍌

Federer vs Berrettini

Wawrinka vs Basilashvili 🔥

Medvedev vs Paire/Verdasco 🔥🍌

Tsitsipas vs Struff 🔥🍌

A.Zverev vs Auger-Aliassime

Monfils/Tiafoe vs Hurkacz/RBA

Cilic vs Schwartzman🍌

Murray/Gasquet vs Thiem 🔥🍌

Coric vs De Minaur 🔥

Nadal vs Garin

PLAYERS REACT TO THEIR DRAW

— 👆Kyrgios when he realises Djokovic is in his quarter and he’ll finally be able to throw boobs if he wins.

— 👇Kyrgios when he has to play Sonego in Rd 1 and he’s given a towel with the slightly wrong shade of white:

— Grigor getting ready for the weekly Dimitrov vs Wawrinka 1st Rd, Edition No. 98768875.

— Context

— Querrey preparing for a surprise redux of Wimbledon 2016.

— Federer: ah feels good to be bac… *tiny voice in head whispers “8*-7, 40-15”*

— 👆Fedal going for their daily coffee meetings before joining the player council.

— 👇Fedal sitting down to discuss politics in Cincy:

PREDICTIONS

Quarter-Finals

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Kyrgios 🇦🇺

Winner: Djokovic

🇨🇭 Federer vs Tsitsipas 🇬🇷

Winner: Tsitsipas

🇭🇷 Cilic vs Auger-Aliassime 🇨🇦

Winner: Cilic

🇯🇵 Nishikori vs Fritz 🇺🇸 (this is assuming Nadal doesn’t play Cincy. If he does, I have him making the final)

Winner: Nishikori

Semi-Finals

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Tsitsipas 🇬🇷

Winner: Djokovic

🇯🇵 Nishikori vs Cilic 🇭🇷

Winner: Nishikori

Final 🏆

🇷🇸 Djokovic vs Nishikori 🇯🇵

(Despite the above predictions, it feels like Cincy could be a good chance for a non Big 3 member to win. Djokovic and Federer are both coming in a bit cold, having not played since Wimbledon, and Nadal may not even show up. Probably wouldn’t be the *biggest* surprise if we see a first time winner.)

A reminder to those of you who aren’t yet paid Racquet subscribers: Only paid subs get the daily recaps/coverage during Cincinnati and the upcoming US Open (and all other Slams, Masters & some 500’s). The Montreal issues have been free this week (yesterday’s Recap), but to keep getting the recaps for Cincy onwards you’ll have to be a paid subscriber. You can try the first month free (normally $5/month) to make sure it’s worth the $ (this link will expire in 24 hrs):

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First Cincy Recap will be on Tuesday (I need a day off between Montreal and Cincy).

GAME, SET & MATCH👋

— The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt.

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See you on Tuesday for the start of the Cincinnati coverage! (I need a day off in between Montreal and Cincy)