Zverev Disturbed by Rain, Alcaraz Races in Hot Weather

CINCINNATI, TUESDAY — Playing outdoor sports requires preparation for various challenges, especially the weather. The scorching sun that left tennis players scorching on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) turned into a thunderstorm that night, leading to the suspension of several third-round matches at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati tournament.

Among the four men's and women's singles matches that were halted and had not yet taken place on Tuesday night was the meeting between Alexander Zverev and Brandon Nakashima. Zverev needed just one more game to advance to the fourth round, leading 6-4, 5-4, and he had a service opportunity in the tenth game.

However, the match was halted due to lightning in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, including around the Lindner Family Tennis Centre, where the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament is taking place. Zverev and Nakashima left the court at 9:03 PM local time or Wednesday afternoon in Indonesia. About 30 minutes later, heavy rain fell, and the tournament director decided that the match between Zverev and Nakashima would continue on Wednesday.

In addition to Zverev's match against Nakashima, another match that was halted was Jessica Pegula's against Magda Linette in the third round of the women's singles. When asked to leave the court, they were preparing to play the third set after the first two sets ended with scores of 6-7 (5), 6-3. Meanwhile, two matches that were postponed for one day are Clara Tauson against Veronika Kudermetova and Ben Shelton against Roberto Bautista Agut.

Thus, the winner of the match between Zverev and Nakashima, as well as the winner of the match between Linette and Pegula, must be prepared to undergo two rounds on Wednesday. Zverev or Nakashima will face Karen Khachanov, who defeated Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-3. If Zverev wins, he will repeat his encounter with Khachanov, which took place just a week earlier. Khachanov defeated Zverev in the semifinals of the Canada Masters.

When the tennis players who competed on Tuesday night faced rain, those who played during the day struggled with hot weather. A minimum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and high humidity posed an additional challenge on the court.

Alcaraz played in such weather against Hamad Medjedovic. His tactics were effective in countering Medjedovic's powerful shots. Alcaraz won 6-4, 6-4 and in the fourth round will face Luca Nardi, who defeated Miami Masters champion Jakub Mensik, 6-2, 6-1.

"I am pleased to have been able to handle the difficult situation in the match earlier," said Alcaraz, who made Medjedovic run a lot to chase the ball in constantly changing directions.

"I know he doesn't really like running from one side to the other. So, I have to make it like that," continued the second-seeded tennis player. Regarding playing in hot weather, Alcaraz can handle it because he is accustomed to such weather in his country, Spain.

Alcaraz and Medjedovic are contemporaneous tennis players, both aged 22. They hold the same championship title from the ATP Next Gen Finals. Alcaraz won the year-end tournament for players aged 21 and under in 2021, while Medjedovic claimed the title two years later.

After that, their journeys in the professional tennis world diverged. Alcaraz soared more quickly, one of his achievements being his first Grand Slam title in 2022 at the US Open. Currently, Alcaraz has 21 championship titles, including five from Grand Slam tournaments, and he has been ranked as the top tennis player in the world.

Medjedovic, who hails from Serbia like Novak Djokovic, made his debut at the ATP Tour tournament in 2021. Currently ranked 72nd in the world, Medjedovic achieved his best result in the Grand Slam arena when he reached the third round of the 2025 French Open.

However, in Cincinnati, Alcaraz is still seeking his first title. He has never won an ATP Masters 1000 tournament after the mid-season. Among the four Masters 1000 tournaments following Wimbledon, which are held in Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris, Alcaraz's best result was when he reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters 2023.

"The tennis competition season is very long. By the halfway point of the season, physical condition is no longer at its best. However, I try to think positively and continue to perform as well as possible," said Alcaraz.

If he can defeat Nardi, Alcaraz has the opportunity to meet Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. Other potential semi-finalists in the lower half of the draw include Khachanov, Zverev, Shelton, or Jiri Lehecka.

Shelton, who won the Canada Masters, has become the local public's hope to see an American men's singles player win the Cincinnati Masters after Andy Roddick in 2006. In addition, the United States still has Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe who will compete in the fourth round on Wednesday. Tiafoe is the finalist of the 2024 Cincinnati Masters, having been defeated by the world number one, Jannik Sinner.

In the fourth round of the women's singles, Elena Rybakina had the opportunity to avenge her defeat against Madison Keys that occurred in the fourth round of the Australian Open. In that Grand Slam competition earlier in the year, Rybakina lost 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, while Keys advanced to become the champion.

The winner of that match has a great chance of meeting the defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, if the world number one player defeats Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Meanwhile, former world number one, Iga Swiatek, will be challenged by Sorana Cirstea, while Anna Kalinskaya faces Ekaterina Alexandrova. (AFP)