Daniel Galán Wins Debut Match at Cincinnati Masters

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Colombian tennis player Daniel Galán secured a convincing victory over Czech player Vít Kopriva Thursday in his first match at the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati.

Galán, 29, won the match with scores of 6-2 and 6-4, marking his debut in the main draw of the tournament. This victory follows his success in the qualifying rounds earlier this week.

The player from Bucaramanga will now face world number one Jannik Sinner in the next round. Sinner, the defending champion, received a bye in the first round along with other seeded players. The Cincinnati Masters marks an important lead-up event to the U.S. Open, which starts on August 24.

In 2023, Galán reached as high as 56 in the ATP rankings but has faced challenges this season, winning only one main draw match prior to his triumph in Cincinnati. He previously won a match in the first round of Roland Garros in May.

This notable victory over Kopriva should provide momentum for Galán as he seeks to improve his standing.

Next, he will compete against Alexander Shevchenko, ranked 101 in the world, who defeated American Tyler Zink in his first-round match.

Galán’s previous matches against Shevchenko have not gone in his favor, as he has lost both preliminary encounters. Nevertheless, this marks Galán’s second appearance at the Cincinnati Masters, where he first competed in 2023.

The Colombian, currently ranked 134th in the ATP rankings, aims to advance to the main draw of this prestigious tournament, which would be a significant achievement for his career.