Alexander Zverev came through a testing encounter with Cameron Norrie, recovering from a set down to win in three sets, and the draw around him quickly shifted in his favour at the Cincinnati Open.

Several of the players who might have stood in his way were eliminated in the second round. Novak Djokovic was beaten by Thiago Agustin Tirante in what could be the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s final-ever match at the Cincinnati Open. Valentin Vacherot fell in straight sets to Daniel Vallejo, while Luciano Darderi was also taken out in straight sets by wildcard Rinky Hijikata.

Those results have left Zverev in a promising position as he looks to take advantage of the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The German has already shown he can make the most of an altered field, having won Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final without Alcaraz in the draw. He was unable to do the same at the Canadian Open when both Alcaraz and Sinner were absent, but the Cincinnati Open may now represent an even better opening.

The entire half of the draw has opened up in Ohio, and Djokovic, Vacherot and Darderi were all originally in Zverev’s section. That means he should face lower-ranked opponents until the closing stages.

His next match is against Terence Atmane, with Tomas Martin Etcheverry the player he might otherwise have met. If he advances, Tommy Paul or Vallejo could await in the fourth round, while Rafael Jodar or Flavio Cobolli appear the likeliest quarter-final opponents.

Zverev’s projected route also no longer includes Djokovic in the semi-finals. Alex de Minaur now looks the most likely candidate there, although Jakub Mensik and Arthur Fils will believe they have a chance to reach the last four.

Ben Shelton, fresh from his Canadian Open title, or Felix Auger-Aliassime, shape as the most probable final opponents. After the early shocks, more could follow, but Zverev would have likely accepted this situation before the tournament began.

Alexander Zverev booked his place in the third round of the Cincinnati Open after a hard-fought win over Cameron Norrie, but the match also highlighted a persistent problem in the sport.

Zverev dropped the opening set against the Briton, then answered with a strong surge to take the next two sets by identical 6-3 scorelines and close out the contest. Yet the result came only after the pair finished the final match on the main court’s order of play, pushing the contest deep into the night.

The match ended after 2am, a finish that should not be part of professional tennis. Both players were then still expected to handle press obligations and begin recovery work, leaving little room for rest. By the time they could realistically get to bed, it would likely have been around 5am at the earliest.

That kind of schedule is particularly concerning for Zverev, who is trying to navigate back-to-back Masters events before the US Open. He entered the Cincinnati Open as top seed, just as he had at the Canadian Open, and this kind of late finish could complicate his preparation for the season’s final Grand Slam.

Zverev now moves on to face Terence Atmane for a place in the fourth round. How he responds physically will be watched closely, because the demands of playing so late are difficult to ignore.

The broader issue is one of player welfare. Late-night finishes disrupt recovery, create unnecessary strain, and are unsustainable for both players and supporters. A curfew at ATP Tour tournaments would go a long way toward addressing a problem that should not be left unresolved.

Thiago Agustin Tirante produced one of the surprises of the Cincinnati Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in the second round and ending the three-time champion’s run earlier than expected.

Djokovic opened with a straightforward 6-2 first set, but Tirante responded strongly to claim the next two sets and send the Serbian out at the second-round stage. The result was a major setback for Djokovic, who had arrived among the leading contenders with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner not in the draw. His physical problems resurfaced, and he was unable to find a way past the Argentine.

Tirante will now move on to meet Martina Landaluce for a place in the fourth round of the Masters 1000 event.

After the match, Tirante reflected on the pressure of facing Djokovic for the first time. Speaking to The Tennis Channel, he said: “I was very nervous. I think the people saw it in the first set. I think I don’t do very well, you know. It was my first meeting with him. I don’t even practice with him never.

“So it was all new for me to play in the central court here against him. You say Novak and you think tennis, you know? So yeah, I was very nervous, but I think I do very good my job after with my team to give that off.

“I spoke with my team before the match, [they said] ‘Never give up’. I think that’s was the key, keep believing in me and and in my team because it was very very tough but I think that helped me because I don’t have more nerves after that game because I very tired.”

Djokovic did not close the door on another Cincinnati appearance before the end of his career. In his post-match press conference, he said: “I certainly hope so, but unfortunately, at this point it seems more likely that I won’t. However, we’ll see what the future holds.”

The match marked Djokovic’s first Cincinnati Open appearance since 2023, when he lifted the title. He has now won three titles at the Ohio event, but this was the first time since 2007 that he was beaten in the second round. That earlier defeat came against Carlos Moya, who retired in 2010, underlining Djokovic’s remarkable longevity on the ATP Tour.

His next scheduled event is the US Open, where he will continue his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title. He is expected to be the fifth seed at Flushing Meadows, depending on how the rest of the Cincinnati Open unfolds.