Stop me if you’ve seen this headline before: “Nadal wins Rogers Cup, withdraws from Cincinnati.”
In fact, you have seen it. Right here: https://tenngrand.com/2018/08/13/nadal-wins-rogers-cup-withdraws-cincinnati/
For the second year in a row, Rafael Nadal triumphed at the Rogers Cup and then immediately withdrew from the ensuing Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. The top-seeded Spaniard lifted Canada’s trophy for the fifth time on Sunday, successfully defending his 2018 Toronto title by beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 in Montreal.
It was surprisingly routine day at the office against an opponent who did not lose a single set en route to the championship match. Medvedev was also coming off a runner-up performance in Washington, D.C., so hopes–at least those of his own–were high heading into Sunday. Instead, the ninth-ranked Russian folded on the big stage and got swept aside by Nadal in one hour and 10 minutes.
“I did a lot of things well, changing directions, changing rhythms during the point,” Nadal assessed. “The slice worked well this afternoon. I played some high balls, then changed down the line. I think I played smart this afternoon.
The world No. 2 will not be playing at all in Cincinnati despite a relatively smooth path through Montreal in which he did not even play a semifinal contest. Gael Monfils withdrew from that scheduled showdown after outlasting Roberto Bautista Agut earlier on Friday in a rain-delayed quarterfinal clash.
Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer return this coming week after skipping the Rogers Cup. They are joined at the Cincinnati Masters by Andy Murray, who is making a highly-anticipated singles comeback.
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