WASHINGTON (Dispatches) - Daniil Medvedev has finished off David Goffin in style with three straight aces to record a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win in the title match of the Western & Southern Open near Cincinnati.
The ninth-seeded Medvedev had 10 aces overall and won 90 percent of his first-serve points during a standout performance on the hardcourt in Mason, Ohio.
The win catapults Medvedev to No. 5 in the world rankings. It was the Russian’s third straight final — he lost to Nick Kyrgios in Washington and Rafael Nadal in Montreal earlier this month.
Medvedev furiously smashed his racquet during the final game against the 16th-seeded Goffin. He said it was because he was cramping up and feared he wouldn’t be able to finish off the Belgian in straight sets.
"I started feel cramps at 5-3. First time in three weeks I started cramping — probably the nerves and rallies,” Medvedev said. "Yesterday, my coach told me it has been 24 days in a row where I played tennis.
"I started cramping quite hard. Last game, it is 15-40 and I am cramping and it is going to be 5-all and I’m in a bad position. I made four serves he couldn’t return and three of them were aces, just unbelievable.”
The three aces gave Medvedev his fifth career victory and came one day after he outplayed top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic in an impressive three-set comeback in the semifinals.
*************Aug 17, 2019; Mason, OH, USA; Daniil Medvedev (RUS) poses for a photo with the Rookwood Cup after defeating David Goffin (BEL) during the finals of the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center.