During Taylor Fritz's men's singles quarterfinal match against Brandon Nakashima August 21 at the Cincinnati Open, Tennis Channel announcers Mark Petchey and Chris Eubanks explained why many players at the tournament aren't in a huge rush to leave the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, for the Big Apple's grand slam, the U.S. Open.
"It is very much emphasized when you walk into the players' lounge even at this stage of the tournament how many players are still here, wanting to practice in Cincinnati before heading to the Big Apple," Petchey said during the broadcast.
"It's a lot easier to get court time," former player Eubanks added. "I've even heard of some players going out and playing best-of-five sets in practice, just to kind of prepare
for the U.S. Open. It's a lot quieter here, slower pace. When you get to New York, the hustle and bustle of it can really get the best of people. So no surprise that you're seeing a lot of players take their time to get to New York and enjoying a lot of the facilities and the amenities here in Cincinnati."
The top-ranked men's player, Jannik Sinner, withdrew Friday from the upcoming U.S. Open, while rival Carlos Alcaraz is expected to play.
Neither Sinner nor Alcaraz played in this year's Cincinnati Open.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Open players aren't rushing off to New York for U.S. Open
