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Medvedev, champion in Cincinnati in 2019, sharpened his game for
his upcoming U.S. Open title defence with a 7-6 (1) 6-3 win over
11th seeded Fritz, while Tsitsipas could manage only a single
break chance in a three set slugfest with Isner but it was
enough to clinch a 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3 victory.
Medvedev's win was powered by 18 aces while a misfiring Fritz,
one of the game's big-hitters, had just three offset by three
double-faults.
Isner, the biggest server in men's tennis with nearly 200 more
aces than his nearest rival Nick Kyrgios, also had 18 aces but
it was still not enough to put away his patient Greek opponent.
While it looked a comfortable win for Medvedev it was anything
but, with the Russian saving three set points in the opener
before finally prevailing 7-1 in the tie-break.
From that point on Medvedev took charge, grabbing the only break
of the match early in the second, and that would be all that was
required to advance to the last four in Cincinnati for the
second consecutive year
"The first set he was on top of me a little bit," admitted
Medvedev. "He had many more chances than I did on my serve, but
I managed to stay in.
"There were some set points where I could have missed and no one
would have talked about it, it would have been normal.
"But I managed to stay in the set and that helped me win the
match"
Breaks were just as scarce in the Tsitsipas and Isner match.
After an opening set without a single break chance for either
player, Tsitsipas grabbed the lead taking the tie-breaker 7-5.
The first break opportunity would finally come in the 11th game
of the second set when Isner would need three chances to convert
and take a 6-5 lead, then holding serve to send the contest to a
decider.
Up 4-3 and with Isner serving, Tsitsipas would finally get his
one and only break chance, and he made it count - punching the
air in delight as he watched the American's return sail long for
a 5-3 lead.
"I think the most important thing with him is to try and stay
patient because there will be a lot situations you cannot really
control," said Tsitsipas, who next takes on Medvedev for a spot
in Sunday's final.
"It all came to a very few points at the end... I was just able
to hang in there and play one more ball back and not give him
much to work with."
British number one Cameron Norrie held off third seed Carlos
Alcaraz to claim a 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-4 win and book his place in
the semi-finals, where he will face Borna Coric after the
Croatian saw off Felix Auger Aliassime 6-4 6-4.
Norrie squandered a 4-1 lead in the second set before roaring
back from 1-3 down in the decider to topple the 19-year-old
Spaniard in just over three hours.
"I just wanted to hang tough with him. I thought I had the
advantage in physicality and the legs and I was just trying to
make every rally as physical as I could," said Norrie.
Alcaraz, seeking his third ATP Masters 1000 title this season,
was left to rue a string of break point opportunities,
converting just two from 13 as Norrie got the better of his
opponent's serve at 4-4 in the third set to secure the win.
"It was a really good battle and just what I needed ahead of the
U.S. Open," added Norrie.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, additional reporting by
Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru, editing by Hugh Lawson)
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