Surreal. Great start. What players are saying in Cincinnati

By Lisa Kruse

The sun is shining and tennis is in full swing at the Cincinnati Open. Players are talking about memorable moments and looking ahead to be their best this week. Here’s what players have said in Cincy.

“To play here on this court instead of watching in the stands – it’s awesome. It’s surreal, I’m not going to lie.”

Ashlyn Krueger beamed after her win on Tuesday. When she was 12 (she’s now 20), Ashlyn came from Dallas to the Cincinnati Open with her family. On Sunday, Ashlyn Krueger qualified to play in the main draw by defeating 4-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka. On Tuesday, she defeated Donna Vekic who is fresh off winning an Olympic silver medal.

“It was my first match [on hard courts] since Miami. Nicolas [Jarry] was serving pretty hard. Especially In the third set, I think we both raised the level. Then it was two tiebreaks who made the difference. I got them. It’s a great start to the tournament.”

After winning Olympic bronze in Paris, Lorenzo Musetti [ITA] won a tough three-set match against Nicolas Jarry [CHI] on Tuesday.

“I’m mentally preparing to grind out the end of the year a bit after I missed the beginning of the season (due to injury).“

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Jessica Pegula – between international travel, workouts and matches, and everything in between. Not only did she play both singles and doubles at the Olympics, she then lifted the trophy in Toronto. Now she is gearing up to play her best at the Cincinnati Open.

Stay tuned for more from the heart of the Cincinnati Open as we continue to bring you a glimpse of player ins and outs with our “Said in Cincy” series.