Tennis returns to the USA for the Cincinatti Open (now called the Western & Southern Open for sponsorship reasons) this month in preparation for the US Open.
A host of the best players in the world are confirmed to be competing in Cincinatti in the final big warm up tournament before the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, and fans will be keen to see who it is that is heading into the big one in good form and with good performances.
We’ll take a look at the field and break down their chances of success, while handing out our best free betting picks for the tournament too to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the summer.
| Cincinatti Open 2022 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | +300 | +300 |
| Rafael Nadal | +500 | +500 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | +600 | +600 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | +1400 | +1400 |
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The player who many consider the favorite is Medvedev, who will have a fresh set of legs after being forced to sit out of Wimbledon due to circumstances out of his control when they banned Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine.
Last year’s US Open champion will look to repeat his victory in this tournament for a second Grand Slam win, and fight off some tough competition but he’s had a relatively good year so far. He will also be looking to win this tournament for a second time, having won it in 2019 when he beat David Goffin in straight sets in the final
He won his first competition of the year two weeks ago when he defeated Cameron Norrie at the Los Cabos Open, and his performances have seen him ranked at number one in the world since February. His 31-10 record for the calendar year 2022 is a good one, and shows just how strong he is heading into this tournament.
He’ll be well rested though and will have a point to prove, so don’t look past him too quickly when scanning the field.
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Alcaraz is a top talent and should never be ruled out of winning a competition again for a long while yet, but it’s going to be very tough for him without favours from other people in the tournament.
Alcaraz has been given a bye in the opening round of this tournament and will face Mackenzie McDonald in the last 32, a match he should win comfortably. So long as he gets through that, then he has a chance.
Though Alcaraz has proven he can beat the best in the world with wins over Nadal and Djokovic in consecutive matches in Madrid earlier this year, and to win this tournament he may have to go through Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev consecutively from the quarter-finals onwards and that’s a big ask for any top player, never mind a 19-year-old.
We don’t expect Alcaraz to be the one to lift the trophy above his head come Sunday night, but he’s got the talent to beat anyone on his day and isn’t someone to be overlooked.
While we won’t be betting on Andy Murray to win the Western & Southern Open it is worth keeping an eye on the wily veteran, who can surely smell a huge opportunity to win this tournament for a third time after successes in 2008 and 2011.
The one time world number one has struggled to get back to his best since having hip replacement surgery, but has shown an ability to win games against tough opposition in spite of that and has climbed back to number 48 in the world now aged 35.
It’s highly unlikely he wins this, because the next generation are now better than him and the previous generation are in better shape too. But who wouldn’t want to see him sign off with one last swan-song? He might be worth a value bet.
The world number five Tsitsipas has not had the greatest of years so far when it comes to tennis, but he’s still managed to win two titles and has a calendar year record of 42-14 so far.
He started the year reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open, before falling to world number one Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling four-set clash.
He then progressed to the final of the ATP Rotterdam tournament where he was beaten by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in what was a disappointing performance.
Tsitsipas has never won the Cincinatti Open before in his career and never made a final, and his poor performance at Wimbledon where was eliminated at the Round of 32 by eventual finalist Nick Kyrgios.
It seems pretty unlikely that he comes out on top for the first time in a stacked field, but stranger things have happened in the tennis world and at 23-years-old he’s got a bright future. So you never know.
Having previously won in Cincinnati once before back in 2013, it was the only time he’s ever reached the final here. It seems unlikely that he’d get here at this stage of his career, but he’s been brilliant this year so simply cannot be ruled out.
Nadal has been around the block for quite some time and there was doubt that he’d even make it to this tournament after being forced to withdraw from Wimbeldon at the semi-final stage due to an abdominal tear, but he seems to be healthy after opting to enter.
The primary issue with him comes from a physical standpoint, as he’s 36 and his body has proven problematic from time to time. Despite winning the French Open and Australian Open already this year and getting to the semi-finals of Wimbledon before injury cost him, there seems to be doubt about his ability.
But with his clear quality and the good year he’s having so far, it’s certainly worth taking a look at his price and having a flutter.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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