'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Daniil Medvedev made headlines at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters, beating David Goffin in the final to become the third first-time Masters 1000 champions of the season, the 69th player to triumph at a Masters 1000 tournament and the 18th active player to do so.
The seventh Masters 1000 tournament of the year produced a few other headlines too, featuring players who didn't go all the way but had their share of the limelight nevertheless.
Here's summarising some of the major headlines from the Cincinnati Masters:
#1 Super Daniil makes Masters 1000 breakthrough
23-year-old Daniil Medvedev bagged the biggest title of his young career by overcoming Belgian David Goffin in straight sets in the Cincinnati final. The win sealed a second title of the season for the Russian (fifth overall) in his second Masters final.
The Russian, playing in his third tournament in as many weeks, capped an exhausting three-week stint on the North American hardcourts with his 14th win in 16 matches over 20 days, following runner-up finishes to Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal at Washington DC and Montreal respectively.
The Cincinnati title lifts Medvedev to a career-high no. 5 in the ATP rankings. The Russian leads the tour with most match wins (44) and most hardcourt wins (31).
#2 Goffin makes first Masters 1000 final
David Goffin beat Richard Gasquet in straight sets to reach a maiden Masters 1000 final in his fifth attempt, but a loss to Medvedev in the summit clash put paid to his hopes of becoming the first Belgian champion at a Masters 1000 event. However, following his run to the Cincinnati title match, Goffin moves into the top 15 for the first time in over a year.
#3 Djokovic foiled in bid to become first player to win multiple titles at all nine Masters tournaments
Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic survived the upset bug to become the only top-eight seed to reach the Cincinnati quarterfinals where the Serb beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets to reach a seventh semifinal at the tournament.
Against Russian Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal, Djokovic burst out the blocks, taking the opening set. He had a breakpoint in the sixth game of the second set as well but failed to convert. At this juncture, Medvedev caught fire and pulverised the Serb with big second serves and punishing groundstrokes.
Three breaks of the Djokovic serve sealed a 3-6 6-3 6-3 victory for Medvedev which foiled the top seed's bid to become the first player to win multiple titles at all nine Masters tournaments.
#4 Gasquet reaches first Masters semifinal in 6 years
Richard Gasquet, on the comeback trail from injury, beat gritty Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in a three-set quarterfinal to reach his first Masters semifinal in six years (2013 Miami: lost to Murray).
The Frenchman would, however, fail in his bid to reach a first Masters final in seven years (2012 Coupe Rogers: lost to Djokovic) when he fell to Belgian David Goffin in straight sets in the last four.
#5 Bautista Agut makes top ten debut with Cincinnati quarterfinal run
Roberto Bautista Agut, on the cusp of the top ten for a while, sealed a maiden top ten entry by beating American Frances Tiafoe in the third round en route to a second Masters quarterfinal in as many weeks.
The Spaniard, however, failed to reach his first Cincinnati semifinal when he went down to Frenchman Richard Gasquet in a three-set last-eight clash.
#6 Rublev knocks out seven-time champion Federer
Andrey Rublev, who almost missed the 2019 Cincinnati Masters as he 'forgot to sign up' for the tournament, moved through the qualifiers to make it to the main draw. The Russian beat successive seeded players in Nikoloz Basilashvili and Stanislas Wawrinka to seal a third-round meeting with Roger Federer.
In his first career meeting with the record seven-time Cincinnati champion, Rublev burst out of the blocks, breaking the Federer serve thrice to hand the Swiss his quickest defeat on tour in 15 years.
The defeat marked Federer's earliest Cincinnati exit in 11 years since a third set tiebreak reverse against Ivo Karlovic in the same round at the 2008 edition of the tournament.
