An all-unseeded showdown in the Cincinnati round of 16 pits Frances Tiafoe against Jiri Lehecka on Friday. Hubert Hurkacz and Flavio Cobolli are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals of this Masters 1000 event.
Frances Tiafoe vs. Jiri Lehecka
After missing almost four months with a hip injury, Lehecka is quickly back in business at the Western & Southern Open. The 22-year-old Czech has advanced with straight-set victories over Mariano Navone and No. 4 seed Daniil Medvedev. Lehecka is now 19-9 for the 2024 campaign and is currently in line to be seeded at the U.S. Open, but he needs one more win in Cincinnati to make it a sure thing.
Up next for the world No. 36 during third-round action on Friday is a second meeting with Tiafoe, who won their only previous encounter 7-6(2), 6-4 last summer on the grass of Stuttgart. This season has mostly been a struggle for the 27th-ranked American, who is a modest 21-18 following defeats of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Lorenzo Musetti. Those are encouraging results for Tiafoe, but consistency has been elusive. In fact, he has won more than two matches in an event just twice this entire year. A healthy and confident Lehecka will likely prevent Tiafoe from doing so in Cincinnati.
Pick: Lehecka in 3
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(5) Hubert Hurkacz vs. Flavio Cobolli
It has been a breakthrough season for Cobolli, who went into it with six tour-level match victories and has earned 28 in 2024 alone. The Italian’s surge includes a recent runner-up performance in Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati wins at the expense of Tommy Paul and Luciano Darderi. Like Lehecka, Cobolli has positioned himself for U.S. Open seeding (currently 31st in the rankings and projected to reach No. 29 if he prevails on Friday).
Up next for the 22-year-old is Hurkacz, who won their only previous contest 7-5, 7-6(2) two months ago on the lawn of Stuttgart. Although hard courts also suit Hurkacz well, they aren’t as ideal for him as grass. Thus he will be hard pressed to once again hold off a red-hot Cobolli–and also because the seventh-ranked Pole suffered a torn meniscus at Wimbledon. Although his comeback has been impressive (two wins in Montreal and now one in Cincinnati after beating Yoshihito Nishioka in three sets), this still isn’t peak Hurkacz. Cobolli has a great chance to maintain his hot streak.
Pick: Cobolli in 3
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Big Foe in 3; Hubie in 3.
Hubert and Lehecka