Novak Djokovic is still favourite for US Open, says in-form Alexander Zverev
Aug 23, 2021
Cincinnati [USA], August 23 : Riding on an 11-match winning streak after winning the Western & Southern Open, the German tennis star, Alexander Zverev still thinks that Novak Djokovic is the favourite for the next week's US Open.
Zverev got past Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 to lift his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title and become the first German champion in Cincinnati since Boris Becker in 1985. The World No. 5 captured his fourth tour-level trophy of the season having already won gold in Olympic singles in Tokyo.
"The US Open is a week that everybody is looking forward to. I think Novak [Djokovic] will be back. He's obviously going to be the favourite, as well. But I think other guys are going to be in great shape," Zverev said as per ATPTour.com.
Notably, World number one, Novak Djokovic has not played an event since Tokyo where Zverev ended his bid for the Golden Grand Slam this season. "I do think that he's still the favourite. I do think he's going to be playing incredible tennis there," Zverev said. "He's going to be fresh, and I think there is also other guys that are in very good form. I think Rublev is in very good form, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, all those guys are playing great tennis.
In women's, world no.1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia continued her stellar season, notching her tour-leading fifth WTA singles title of the year by claiming the Western & Southern Open trophy for the first time. Barty ended the giant-killing run of World No.76 Jil Teichmann of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-1, to collect her 13th career WTA singles title, as per WTATennis.com. With the victory, top-ranked Barty becomes the first player to hit 40 match-wins this season.