Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal little did they imagine that Dubai and Acapulco were going to be the last two tournaments to win before the COV-19 pandemic forced the ATP to suspend the circuit. His victories against the Greek Stefano Tsitsipas (6-3, 6-4) and the American Taylor Fritz (6-3, 6-2) were the last matches to be played together with the final of the Santiago de Chile tournament won by the Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild.
After 175 endless days of stoppage and 25 suspended tournaments, The Cincinnati Masters 1,000 reopens a bloody season this Saturday. And it will do so far from Mason (Ohio) where the tournament is usually played. The coronavirus pandemic has forced an emergency solution to the United States Tennis Federation (USTA), which moved the tournament to New York in advance of the US Open.
The return to the slopes will have nothing to do with what they imagined Djokovic and Nadal when on February 29 they challenged each other from a distance with their victories in Dubai and Acapulco in a season that was announced spectacular. The reality is very different. The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed expectations and tennis only seeks to survive the worst crisis in its history since World War II.
Nadal bets on Roland Garros
From the outset, in New York, it will not be Nadal who has preferred to avoid any risk and preserve his body facing the only real objective what is none other than winning Roland Garros, moved to September 21 and where, if he succeeds, he will equal the record of 20 Grand Slams of Roger Federer.
Without Nadal and Federer on the American tour, Djokovic will be alone to defend that territory owned by the Big Three in the last two decades before the new litter led by the Austrian Dominic Thiem, who had the Serbian on the ropes in the final of the Australian Open; the russian Daniil Medvedev, who put Nadal to the test in last year’s US Open final or the Greek Stefano Tsitsipas, last champion of the Masters.
“Looking for the 18th Grand Slam has been an important factor to come. It will be strange to play without Nadal and Federer.”
World number 1
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The possibility of “looking for the 18th Grand Slam has been an important factor to come. Although not the only reason. I feel responsible for pushing tennis forward,” says the Serbian tennis player who admits that “playing without Nadal and Federer will be very strange. They will be greatly missed but their absence will not diminish the importance of the tournament as most of the best are in New York. “
In the women’s tournament, casualties have soared more than in the men’s. Six of the top 10, Barty (number 1), Halep (2), Svitolina (5), Andreescu (6), current US Open champion, Bertens (7) and Bencic (8) have given up the tour.
Strict protocol
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The Cincinnati Masters 1,000 that begins on Saturday will serve as a test to assess the moment of form of the tennis players facing the United States Open and check their adaptation to the strict sanitary protocol. “A bubble” where tennis players are required to pass PCR tests every 48 hours. The mask is always mandatory, except on the track or in training sessions and no one can leave the protection zone of the hotels marked by the organizers without special permission.
Any player who tests positive for COV-19 will be expelled from the tournament. The Argentinian Guido Pella and the bolivian Hugo Dellien They have been the first to suffer this rule when their physical trainer tests positive. At the moment the only positive of 1,400 tests carried out since August 13.
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