Day 3 of the Cincinnati Open also means Day 1 of the second round. The fun part is that this is the day when many of the higher seeds begin play. After qualifying and a first round that featured lower-ranked players, the true main draw begins on Saturday.
The matches below all have start times as reported by ESPN. Times could change because of weather or how much the tournament wants to sell one player over another. What is clear, though, is that the higher-end Cincinnati Open is not going to sell itself out the way the Canadian Open did in terms of when Alexandra Eala will play.
Instead, the conquests of each match will be weighted by those who have earned it most. This is how tennis should be. But to earn that success, the players below need to get past these must-watch matches.
Must-see Cincinnati Open matches on Saturday, August 15
Alex Eala vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse (11 am ET)
Everyone wants to watch Eala, right? Whether that is her massive Filipino following or tennis fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the latest rising star in the sport. The importance of Eala goes beyond the court and into how well she can succeed in getting young Filipinos involved in tennis.
Eala should be the favorite to win her second-round match, but after that, her path to the final is brutal. That could begin with Amanda Anisimova, as the American plays at the same time against Zeynep Sonmez.
Novak Djokovic vs. Thiago Agustin Tirante (12:30 pm ET)
This is a stunningly difficult match so early in the Cincinnati Open for Djokovic. He is arguably the main draw for the tournament overall with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz out, but he is likely using Cincy to warm up for the US Open. Does he actually care to win the event? Maybe not as a major.
His Argentinian opponent is better on clay, but he moves well, and he could certainly make Djokovic work harder than he wants. Should the Serbian make it through the match, he might be more tired for the third round.
Linda Noskova vs. Katie Boulter (1 pm ET)
The Wimbledon winner against a popular Brit. This match is likely to be watched globally. Boulter might not have the high end as the younger Noskova, but she is wily and could give the Czech fits. This could pit the Brit's experience against the Czech's bombast.
Ultimately, Noskova should win the match and help her get ready for the hard courts of New York. She could be a long-term top-10 player, but going up against the feisty Boulter is only going to help her.
Alexander Zverev vs. Cameron Norris (8:30 pm ET)
To be fair, as much as Norrie battles and never gives up, this match should belong to Zverev. The two have met seven times before, and the German has never lost. The odd part is that while the Brit has seemingly been on the ATP Tour for many more years, he is only a year older than the German.
Still, this match is scheduled so late in the day for a reason. Both are popular players, and Norrie has carved out a nice career for himself even while not having the skill set of Zverev. For those watching the Cincinnati Open in person, no one would be miffed if this match turned into a monumental upset.
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