American quartet pushes deep at Cincinnati Open
Four U.S. players navigate a compressed schedule and quick hard courts to reach the semifinals in Mason, where tactical tweaks and mental steadiness decide who advances.
Four Americans have carved paths into the semifinals at the Cincinnati Open, where the fast hard courts reward compact swings and precise footwork over raw power.
Pressure shapes early round resolve
MASON, Ohio -- Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima won quarterfinal matches Friday night to set up an all-American men’s semifinal at the Cincinnati Open. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula also advanced to make it four U.S. players in the semis.
“It’s insane. I think we’re all doing so well,” Gauff said. “Hopefully, you know, we can have a double title win. Obviously, there are more matches to be played for that to happen. We definitely root for each other.”
Tiafoe beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (2), 7-5 and Nakashima beat fellow American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3, marking the first time two Americans have reached the men’s semifinals in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish in 2010. The tiebreak battles revealed how both players adjusted under pressure, shifting from baseline exchanges to sharper inside-out patterns when nerves peaked.
Nakashima is the first American man to reach the semifinals in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Fish in 2011. Nakashima is coached by Tiafoe’s former coach, Wayne Ferreira. The shared coaching history added an extra layer of mental calculation for both men heading into their semifinal.
Tiafoe reached the Cincinnati final in 2024, losing to Jannik Sinner. That near-miss lingers as motivation, pushing him to refine his return positioning and stay present point by point rather than chase past results.
Baseline exchanges test spin tolerance
The other men’s semifinal Saturday features Italy’s Flavio Cobolli against Frenchman Arthur Fils. Both players bring aggressive inside-in approaches that could force the Americans to adapt their slice and topspin combinations on the fly.
Gauff beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2. She will face surprising Czech 20-year-old Sara Bejlek on Saturday. The straight-sets win allowed Gauff to conserve energy while testing her movement patterns ahead of a younger opponent known for quick transitions.
Bejlek outlasted 2019 champion Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Friday. She upset No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the round of 16. Those results illustrate how Bejlek handles extended rallies and converts break opportunities when the score tightens.
Pegula, ranked No. 3 and who beat Amanda Anisimova on Thursday, will face fifth-ranked Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s other semifinal. The matchup pits Pegula’s steady crosscourt consistency against Swiatek’s heavy topspin pressure, demanding precise footwork and mental resets between points.
Return positioning shifts with surface pace
“It’s a guy who knows me pretty well in Wayne,” Tiafoe said. “I expect some good serving and all the best from him. Happy where I’ve been mentally more than anything. This has been a great week.” The words show how past relationships now fuel forward focus amid the semifinal stage.
“Sara is a great player,” Gauff said. “I watched her a lot in Abu Dhabi this year when she won that title. So I think it’s going to be a tough match. I’m looking forward to it.” Preparation through observation helps Gauff frame the next challenge without dwelling on accumulated fatigue from the summer swing. The quicker bounce here forces both players to flatten their crosscourt drives earlier than on slower European clay, trimming the margin for heavy topspin loops. Swiatek’s heavy kick serve may push Pegula wider on the ad side, testing the American’s inside-in forehand under fatigue from a compressed schedule. The Czech teenager has used compact swings to redirect pace on the faster courts, forcing opponents into longer rallies where slice and underspin become decisive.