Day 4 of the 2024 Cincinnati Open will feature a lot of matches involving the top seeds in the men’s draw. The major headline fixture would be last year’s runner-up Carlos Alcaraz looking to begin his campaign against Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Other top seeds like Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas will also look to set the ball rolling. Zverev and Rublev got byes in the first round, while Tsitsipas went past Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.
Among the Americans, Ben Shelton and Brandon Nakashima will be in action. The day will also feature an all-Italian clash between Luciano Darderi and Flavio Cobolli.
Let’s look at some of the matches scheduled on Day 4 of the 2024 Cincinnati Open
#1. Max Purcell vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Max Purcell has had a very poor 2024 season with meager returns on the court. The Australian has a 13-18 record which is reflective of his efforts in the year. Purcell’s one good tournament was at the Eastbourne International where he reached the final as a qualifier, losing to Taylor Fritz. The World No. 68 won against Tomas Machac in the first round at the Cincinnati Open.
Pablo Carreno Busta has played a curtailed season so far, taking part in a limited number of events, owing to his comeback from an injury. He has won only two matches in the entire season, the second of which came at the first round of the Cincinnati Open, when he upset an in-form Sebastian Korda in straight sets.
The players are yet to meet each other on the ATP Tour. However, with Pablo Carreno Busta coming back from an injury, Purcell will have the advantage in this match.
Predicted Winner- Max Purcell
#2. Flavio Cobolli vs Luciano Darderi
Flavio Cobolli is having a good season, with a 27-21 win/loss ratio. The Italian has been in good form in recent weeks, as he made the final of the Citi Open, losing to Sebastian Korda. Cobolli caused a massive upset in the first round of the Cincinnati Open as he defeated tenth seed and World No. 13 Tommy Paul in three thrilling sets.
Luciano Darderi has been in decent form in 2024. With a record of 23-16 and a title to his name, the Italian has given a good account of himself on the tour. Darderi won the Cordoba Open earlier this year, which was his maiden career title on the ATP circuit. He went past Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
The two Italians are yet to play each other on the tour, but given the hard-court form of Cobolli in recent weeks, he will start as the slight favorite.
Predicted Winner- Flavio Cobolli
#3. Arthur Fils vs Brandon Nakashima
Arthur Fils has been one of the players to watch out for on the ATP Tour in 2024. The Frenchman won his second career title at the Hamburg Open last month. However, Fils suffered successive first-round losses at the Paris Olympics and the Canadian Open at the hands of Matteo Arnaldi and Ugo Humbert respectively. The World No 24. defeated Australian qualifier Brandon Holt in the first round of the Cincinnati Open.
Brandon Nakashima is having a moderate season in 2024, with a record of 16-14. The American last played at the Canadian Open, where he reached the round of 16 as a qualifier before losing out to Andrey Rublev. Overall, Nakashima’s form has been patchy and consistency of results is something that has been lacking for him on the court.
Fils and Nakashima have both won one match against each other, with the most recent victory going the latter’s way at the Winston-Salem Open last year. Given the current form, Fils is the favorite to win the upcoming match.
