No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, +1
The 23-year-old rises to a new career-high of No. 8 the ATP Rankings after reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Coupes Rogers (l. to Nadal) and becomes the new Russian No. 1 – moving past Karen Khachanov, who has dropped one spot to No. 9. Now 5-5 against Top 10 opponents in 2019, the Russian beat Dominic Thiem and Khachanov in Montreal. Over the past two weeks, Medvedev has won eight of 10 matches, including a runner-up finish on 4 August at the Citi Open (l. to Kyrgios). He first broke into the Top 10 on 15 July. Read More & Watch Montreal Final Highlights

No. 11 Roberto Bautista Agut, +2
The Spaniard, who reached his first Grand Slam championship semi-final at The Championships, Wimbledon (l. to Djokovic) last month, is also up to a career-high No. 11 after he advanced to the fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final (l. to Monfils) of his career. Bautista Agut was at No. 25 on 18 March this year.

No. 15 Gael Monfils, +5
Former World No. 6 Gael Monfils reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final for four years (2016 Toronto) to return to No. 15 in the ATP Rankings for the first time since 1 July. The Frenchman, who lifted his eighth ATP Tour title at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament at Rotterdam (d. Wawrinka) in February, has featured in the Top 20 since 4 March.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 5 Kei Nishikori, +1
No. 6 Alexander Zverev, +1
No. 10 Fabio Fognini, +1
No. 32 Cristian Garin, +4
No. 40 Hubert Hurkacz, +8
No. 44 Daniel Evans, +9
No. 56 Richard Gasquet, +10
No. 59 Adrian Mannarino, +10
No. 79 Steve Johnson, +14
No. 88 Bernard Tomic, +7

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer headline the Western & Southern Open, featuring nine of the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings. Here’s 10 things to watch in Cincinnati.

1. Reunited: Three of the Big Four: Djokovic, Federer and Andy Murray will compete together in the singles draw at the Western & Southern Open, which was held in 1899. Murray, the 2008 and 2011 winner, received a wild card to join defending champion Djokovic and seven-time former titlist Federer at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati.

2. Roger That: Federer is 45-5 since starting his career 1-4 in Cincinnati. The Swiss star’s seven Cincinnati titles are a tournament record. Federer is looking for his first ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati title since 2015, when he beat Djokovic in the final; Djokovic reversed that result in last year’s championship match.

3. Complete Set: Djokovic’s win over Federer in last year’s final allowed the Serb to collect the one ATP Masters 1000 title he had been missing, and become the first singles player to win all nine of the events in the series. Djokovic had been 0-5 in Cincinnati finals before his victory last season. 

4. More Murray: Following a first-round singles loss at the Australian Open, Murray underwent his second hip surgery on 28 January. The Brit missed five months of play but returned to doubles action at London/Queen’s Club, where he promptly won the title partnering Feliciano Lopez. After four more doubles events, two-time Cincinnati champion Murray is back in singles action.

5. Former Champs: Two other previous winners of the Western & Southern Open are in the field: Marin Cilic, who defeated Murray in the 2016 final, and Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Nick Kyrgios in the 2017 final. These are the only ATP Masters 1000 titles to date for both former World No. 3s.

6. Americans in Cincy: Andy Roddick was the last homegrown champion in Cincinnati, triumphing over Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2006 final. Since then, James Blake (2007), Mardy Fish (2010) and John Isner (2013) have all finished runner-up at the Masters 1000 tournament. Isner, who finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal, has a 15-11 record at the event, including a 2017 semi-final run (l. to Dimitrov).

7. Move Towards Milan: The #NextGenATP is in full force at Cincinnati, headed by 20-year-old No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who turned 19 on Thursday. The Cincinnati main draw includes other top contenders in the Race to the Next Gen ATP Finals at Milan, such as 20-year-olds Alex de Minaur and Denis Shapovalov and 21-year-old Frances Tiafoe.

8. Winning Thiem: No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem added his name to the list of ATP Masters 1000 titlists when he captured the Indian Wells trophy in March. No. 10 seed Fabio Fognini also became a first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion this season after triumphing at Monte-Carlo in April.

9. Wild Ones: Two of 2019’s 13 first-time ATP Tour singles champions received wild cards alongside Murray this week: Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Londero, who claimed his first title on home soil at Cordoba, and Reilly Opelka, who triumphed in his home country at the New York Open. Sam Querrey received a wild card as well; Querrey reached his third Wimbledon quarter-final in July.

10. Double Up: Cincinnati features another stellar 2019 doubles draw, headlined by No. 1 seeds and Wimbledon champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah taking on Kyrgios and Tsitsipas in the first round – a rematch of their first-round clash at Washington, won by the Colombians. Murray and Lopez are also together in the field, as are five-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

A LOOK BACK
Schwaben Open (Augsburg, Germany): It’s safe to say that Yannick Hanfmann loves to play at home in Germany. The 27-year-old powered to his fifth ATP Challenger Tour title and fourth on home soil on Sunday, triumphing in Augsburg. Hanfmann prevailed in dramatic fashion, saving three championship points to overcome Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

It was another memorable week for the former University of Southern California standout. Hanfmann improved to 4-0 in finals in Germany, adding to victories in Ismaning in 2017, Braunschweig last year and Ludwigshafen last month. Most importantly, he rises nearly 50 spots in the ATP Rankings to No. 187. One year after cracking the Top 100, he is on the rise once again following an elbow injury.

“It was really close today,” Hanfmann told Tennis TourTalk. “Emil is a great player with a bright future ahead. I am looking forward to many more matches to come. Maybe I stayed more calm, but the match could have gone either way. I am really happy. I really enjoy playing in front of my home crowd. It can give you some extra boost in the decisive moments.”

For Ruusuvuori, it was another impressive week on the Challenger circuit. The 20-year-old is making a splash in his first full season on tour, reaching his second Challenger final. Two months ago, he lifted his first trophy in Fergana, Uzbekistan.

Match Points Saved In 2019 Finals

Yokkaichi Challenger (Yokkaichi, Japan): Hanfmann wasn’t the only one to benefit from the home crowd support this week. Yuichi Sugita has been a man on a mission this summer and he would once again lift a Challenger trophy. The Japanese celebrated his second title in three weeks, prevailing at the inaugural tournament in Yokkaichi.

Packed crowds proved to be the norm throughout the week in the Japanese city, as the public flocked to the Yokkaichi Tennis Center in droves. They were treated with a trio of home hopes in the semis, with Sugita defeating Aussie James Duckworth in a dramatic 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) final.

It’s amazing what a little momentum can do for a player’s confidence and Sugita has experienced that first-hand in recent weeks. After slipping outside the Top 270 just last month, the former World No. 36 has rediscovered his mojo in a hurry. The champion in Binghamton and runner-up in Chengdu, Sugita would rise to No. 133 in the ATP Rankings with his victory in Yokkaichi. Three finals and two titles in less than a month has the Japanese star soaring once again.

What a finish!

Yuichi Sugita survives James Duckworth in a deciding tie-break to take the crown in Yokkaichi, his second ? in three weeks.#ATPChallenger title No. 11 for the ?? pic.twitter.com/UUJDgu7e7B

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 11, 2019

Nordic Naturals Challenger (Aptos, California, USA): Since reaching his sixth ATP Tour final a year ago in Winston-Salem, Steve Johnson has endured a rough run of form. The American suffered a nine-match losing streak and fell from inside the Top 30 to No. 93 in the ATP Rankings. In search of rhythm and confidence, Johnson returned to the ATP Challenger Tour this week in sunny Aptos. It did not take long for him to find his form.

The California native prevailed in his backyard, streaking to the title without dropping a set all week. He ousted Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 7-6(4) in one hour and 39 minutes on Sunday for his first trophy of the year. It is not uncommon for top players to take a similar path as they look to rediscover their rhythm at the Challenger level. This year alone has seen Johnson, Kyle Edmund and Lucas Pouille all win titles on the circuit. The American will rise to No. 79 in the ATP Rankings and hopes to continue making progress next week in Vancouver.

Internazionali di Tennis Manerbio (Manerbio, Italy): Four tournaments this week, four home-grown champions. Italy’s Federico Gaio prevailed in Manerbio on Sunday, clinching the title 6-3, 6-1 over top seed Paolo Lorenzi. Gaio rallied from a set down on three occasions during the week, before lifting his third Challenger crown in efficient fashion. It was his first title since 2016.

A LOOK AHEAD
The 2018 Tournament of the Year in Vancouver, Canada, is back. The Odlum Brown VanOpen returns for a 14th edition, with Ricardas Berankis as its top seed and Steve Johnson, Brayden Schnur, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Vasek Pospisil and Hyeon Chung also in action. Last year, it joined the NECKARCUP in Heilbronn, Germany and the Puerto Vallarta Open in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as the three top tournaments on the Challenger circuit, as voted by the players.

Meanwhile, in Cordenons, Italy, reigning champion Paolo Lorenzi is the top seed, with Andrej Martin seeded second. In Meerbusch, Germany, Pedro Sousa and Jay Clarke lead the charge, while home hope Aljaz Bedene is the top dog in Portoroz, Slovenia. Sergiy Stakhovsky (2017 champ) is seeded fourth in the Slovenian coastal city, while defending champ Constant Lestienne is sixth.

Rafael Nadal’s chase for a 36th ATP Masters 1000 title will have to wait. The Spaniard pulled out of the Western & Southern Open on Sunday, citing fatigue after winning his record-extending 35th Masters 1000 title earlier at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

Nadal beat Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 to record more history at the Canadian Masters 1000. It was the fifth time (2005, 2008, 2013, 2018) the World No. 2 has hoisted the trophy in Canada.

More #ATP News
Nadal Rolls To 35th ATP Masters 1000 Title In Montreal
Nadal Passes Djokovic For Top Spot In ATP Race To London
Look Back At 2019 #CoupeRogers
Who Can Stop The Big Three? Djokovic Looks At Prime Candidates

The 33-year-old leads the ATP Tour in wins this season with 41 (41-6) and is in first place in the ATP Race To London, an indicator who will finish year-end No. 1. Nadal has three tour-level titles this year (Rome, Roland Garros). He is next scheduled to compete at the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam, the US Open, which begins 26 August.

World No.2 Rafael Nadal, our 2013 champion, has withdrawn from #CincyTennis citing fatigue.

Bianca Andreescu has also withdrawn due to a change in schedule. We wish you both the best and hope to see you next year. pic.twitter.com/lVQmgVmeqb

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 12, 2019

Nick Kyrgios will be pulling double duty at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, which, if you’re looking for a positive superstition, is a good thing for his singles chances.

Kyrgios also played singles and doubles at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and although he and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, his Cincy partner as well, fell in their opener, Kyrgios went onto win his second ATP 500 title of the season (Acapulco) in the U.S. capital.

The Aussie remains in friendly U.S. territory this week as it was only two years ago when Kyrgios made the ATP Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati (l. to Dimitrov). He’ll try to start another memorable run against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

The 24-year-old Italian, however, is having his best season. He cracked the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings earlier this month and won his first ATP Tour title in June at the Turkish Airlines Open Antalya (d. Kecmanovic). This will be Sonego’s first hard-court match since March in Miami.

More From #CincyTennis
* Who Can Stop The Big Three? Djokovic Looks At Prime Candidates
* Cincinnati Draw Preview
* All You Need To Know
* Can You Pass Our #CincyTennis Quiz?

#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime will miss the home support he received at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal last week, but the 19-year-old likely will be pleased to have the spotlight on someone else in Ohio. Auger-Aliassime made the third round of his home Masters 1000 event (l. to Khachanov).

He’ll look to begin a new winning streak against #NextGenATP Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in what could be a preview of what fans could see at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 5-9 November in Milan.

Auger-Aliassime (second) and Kecmanovic (seventh) are both inside the top eight of the ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight players who compete at the 21-and-under event. The eighth position is reserved for an Italian wild card.

Other notable matches include Andy Murray beginning his singles comeback after four weeks of doubles success. The Brit meets Richard Gasquet for the 12^th time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (Murray leads 8-3).

Twelfth seed Borna Coric faces big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the final match on Centre Court, and 14^th seed Marin Cilic, the 2016 champion (d. Murray), will look to kickstart another successful week in Cincinnati against Moldovan Radu Albot.

Schedule – 12 August 2019 Monday
CENTRE COURT start 11:00 am
WTA Match
WTA Match
[WC] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [PR] Richard Gasquet (FRA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
WTA Match

Not Before 8:30 pm
[WC] Reilly Opelka (USA) vs [12] Borna Coric (CRO)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs Radu Albot (MDA)
[Q] Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
WTA Match

Not Before 7:00 pm
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)

Not Before 8:30 pm
WTA Match

View the remainder of Monday’s schedule here.

John Isner broke at exactly the right time on Sunday to start his Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. The 13^th seed broke Dusan Lajovic for the first time as the Serbian served to stay in the match at 5-6 in the third set and advanced 7-6(3), 1-6, 7-5 at the season’s seventh ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Lajovic had saved all four break points prior to that. Isner, the 2013 finalist and 2017 semi-finalist, hit 27 aces and won 80 per cent (59/74) of his first-serve points.

More From #CincyTennis
* Roger Erases SW19 Flashbacks With… Caravaning?
* Who Can Stop The Big Three? Djokovic Looks At Prime Candidates
* Cincinnati Draw Preview
* All You Need To Know
* Can You Pass Our #CincyTennis Quiz?

The top-ranked American will next meet the winner between Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta and Frenchman Gilles Simon.

#NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur improved to 3-1 against Italy’s Marco Cecchinato in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2 win. The BB&T Atlanta Open champion will next meet the winner between American Reilly Opelka and 12^th seed Borna Coric of Croatia.

“These wins are often the ones that count the most,” De Minaur said. “To be able to come back from not playing my best tennis and turn it around… I’m really happy to get the win.”

In doubles, seventh seeds Henri Kontinen/John Peers escaped past Felix Auger-Aliassime/Matteo Berrettini 7-6(5), 2-6, 10-4, and fifth-seeded Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut advanced past Croatians Nikola Mektic/Franko Skugor 6-3, 6-7(6), 12-10.

If the ATP Tour calendar is a racetrack, the best tennis players in the world are more than halfway to the finish line. But two superstars have pulled away from the pack in pursuit of first place. And on Monday, Rafael Nadal will pass Novak Djokovic for the lead in the ATP Race To London, giving him the edge in the battle for the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking.

Nadal captured his record-extending 35th ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday with a straight-sets victory against Daniil Medvedev at the Coupe Rogers, giving him 1,000 points in the Race, which will move him 500 points ahead of second-placed Djokovic. 

“I am never too confident. I always respect every situation and every opponent,” Nadal said. “That’s why I’m always putting my 100 per cent attention.”

If the 33-year-old advances to the final of the Western & Southern Open, he will hold onto the top spot regardless of Djokovic’s efforts in Cincinnati, where the Serbian is the defending champion. It has been an exciting back-and-forth battle all year between the two legends of the sport, and the tension will only build as the season continues forward.

If Nadal finishes the season atop the ATP Rankings, he will tie Djokovic, Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors for the second-most year-end No. 1 finishes in history behind only Pete Sampras (6). Djokovic, however, is trying to match Sampras’ record.

Most Year-End No. 1 Finishes In The ATP Rankings

What’s most important to Nadal is that after some early-season health struggles, he is healthy and playing good tennis, as evidenced by his performance in Montreal. The lefty has made at least the semi-finals in his past eight tournaments.

“I am healthy for a while. Since Madrid I think I have been improving in all terms, especially on the body. The body is feeling better,” Nadal said. “That makes me play better, too, because my mind is focused on tennis, not thinking about if I can do this thing or another thing.”

Nadal finished his run in Canada in exceptionally strong form, winning eight of the final nine games against Medvedev. The Spaniard knew that the Russian had shown a high level all week, making the final without dropping a set. So Nadal, as always, kept his foot on the gas.

“In this sport you are never under full control. Things change very quickly. When you play against almost every player, when you play Masters 1000s, every single match is tough. Everybody has the potential to cause problems and everybody is dangerous,” Nadal said. “Even if you are winning, especially today I was winning 6-3, 4-0, I know I have an advantage, but of course I cannot be 100 per cent calm knowing that I [am] going to win the match.”

The 83-time tour-level titlist enjoyed the atmosphere, too, as the Montreal fans showed their love for Nadal from the moment he arrived. It is his third victory in Montreal, and his fifth in Canada.

“Every single place has a different atmosphere, different feeling. Every place is special by itself. But honestly here, I think they are very passionate about the sport. They are very passionate about tennis,” Nadal said. “I always felt when I have been playing here, [there has] always an unbelievable atmosphere out here, full crowd. That’s so important for our sport and for me personally.”

Nadal won his first hard-court title at 2005 Montreal, defeating Andre Agassi in the final. And one thing has remained a constant for him in this city: his driver, Jacque.

“He is not only a good luck charm, [he] is a great man. I am super happy when I see him, always,” Nadal said. “We know each other since a long time. It’s great to have him around.”

Rafael Nadal is one set away from a record-extending 35^th ATP Masters 1000 title. The Spaniard leads Daniil Medvedev 6-3 on Sunday at the Coupe Rogers, breaking the Russian in the fourth game when Medvedev double faulted.

The first-time finalist was matching Nadal from the baseline in the early going, teasing the crowd with gut-busting rallies of 24 shots and 32 shots in the opening game. But Nadal found his way to net more often as the set progressed (8/10), striking high and heavy forehands in windy conditions, and he benefitted from the slightest dip in level from Medvedev.

More From #CoupeRogers
Preview: Can Medvedev Stop Rafa?
Medvedev Makes Maiden Masters 1000 Final
Nadal Reaches Montreal Final After Monfils Withdraws
Medvedev’s Coach: Sometimes You Just Don’t Understand Him

The World No. 8 and Nadal are facing off for the first time in the final of the season’s sixth Masters 1000 tournament. Nadal, a four-time champion (2005, 2008, 2013, 2018), is looking to win his third tour-level title of the year and his first hard-court crown of the season.

Medvedev is going for his second ATP Tour title of the year and his fifth overall (4-4). If Medvedev can come back, he’d become the ninth player to win a maiden Masters 1000 title during the past 20 events in the series.