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Tennis action heads to the United States once again as players make their way to compete in the Cincinnati Open.
Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are among the notable absentees this time around. While the former is unable to compete due to the vaccine mandate in place, the latter is recovering from an injury.
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is set to make his comeback. The Spaniard suffered an abdominal tear at Wimbledon last month, which has kept him on the sidelines ever since. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz, three of the most consistent players this season, suffered early exits from the Canadian Open and will be eager to perform much better this week.
The 2022 Cincinnati Open features a packed draw with plenty of exciting matches in store right from the start. Here's all the information you need to know about the tournament:
What is the Cincinnati Open?
One of the oldest tournaments on the tour, the inaugural edition of the Cincinnati Open took place in September 1899. Classified as a Masters 1000 tournament on the ATP tour, it is a joint event with their WTA counterparts. It was a clay court event before permanently switching over to hardcourt in 1979.
The tournament was held in quite a few places before finally settling upon its current venue. The organizers have also made sure to give back to the community, donating millions of dollars through their various charitable endeavors.
Roger Federer is the most successful player in the history of the tournament. He has won seven titles and has reached an additional final as well.
Venue
The tournament will be held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, located in the suburb of Mason in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Players
Daniil Medvedev is the top seed. His reign at the top of the rankings is under threat, with an early exit giving Nadal a chance to become World No. 1. The Russian is in the first quarter with a potential quarterfinal meeting with Nick Kyrgios on the cards. The Australian recently knocked him out of the second round of the Canadian Open.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Hubert Hurkacz headline the second quarter. While the former made an early exit, the latter is still going strong in the tournament. Other notable players in this part of the draw are Matteo Berrettini, Sebastian Korda and Karen Khachanov, among others.
Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud have been drawn as the top two seeds in the third quarter. The in-form teenager was stunned in the second round of the Canadian Open while the Norwegian has made the last four. Cameron Norrie and Stan Wawrinka are the other players to look out for in this section.
Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassime oversee the fourth quarter. The Spaniard has been handed an easy start, but it gets tough after the initial rounds. He could meet either the Canadian or Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds will take place on August 13 and 14, with first-round matches also commencing on August 14. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final are to be contested on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The official tournament schedule for the 2022 Cincinnati Open can be accessed here.
Prize Money
The total prize money for this year's edition is $6,280,880. The winner will walk away with a cash prize of $970,020 along with 1000 ranking points. Here's a detailed breakdown of the prize money and ranking points:
Where to watch
Viewers in the US, Australia, UK and Canada can watch the Cincinnati Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.
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