Cincinnati predictions, August 18, 2026: Fils vs Lehecka, Nakashima vs Medvedev

Tuesday's Cincinnati round of 32 pits Arthur Fils against Jiri Lehecka on hard. Arthur Fils is 6-4 across recent matches. Jiri Lehecka has won 6 of the last 10.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. Little separates them; Fils gets the nod on the finest of margins.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Tuesday, when Brandon Nakashima goes up against Daniil Medvedev in the Cincinnati round of 32. Daniil Medvedev is 6-4 across recent matches. Brandon Nakashima comes in at 8 wins from the last ten.

Daniil Medvedev simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. Little separates them; Medvedev gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Tuesday's Cincinnati round of 32 pits Alexandra Eala against Amanda Anisimova on hard. Amanda Anisimova is 6-4 across recent matches. Alexandra Eala has won 8 of the last 10.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Anisimova is exactly that — a lean.

Tuesday's Cincinnati round of 32 pits Daniel Merida Aguilar against Taylor Fritz on hard. Taylor Fritz is 8-2 across recent matches. Daniel Merida Aguilar is 8-2 across recent matches.

Hold strength tells the story — 74.6% versus 64.3% on first-serve points in Fritz's favor. Fritz should have enough here, though Aguilar has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

Ann Li and Coco Gauff meet in the round of 32 at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Coco Gauff has won 8 of the last 10. Ann Li comes in at 4 wins from the last ten.

Coco Gauff simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. The edge belongs to Gauff — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Sara Bejlek meet in the round of 32 at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Ekaterina Alexandrova comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Sara Bejlek comes in at 6 wins from the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Alexandrova has been winning 66.9% of first-serve points to Bejlek's 57.7%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Alexandrova fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Tuesday, when Andrey Rublev goes up against Nuno Borges in the Cincinnati round of 32. Andrey Rublev is 6-4 across recent matches. Nuno Borges has won 7 of the last 10.

The ledger favors Andrey Rublev, 5-0 across their 5 meetings with Nuno Borges. On hard specifically it reads 3-0 Rublev — worth more than the overall number this week.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Little separates them; Rublev gets the nod on the finest of margins.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Tuesday, when Katerina Siniakova goes up against Madison Keys in the Cincinnati round of 32. Madison Keys comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Katerina Siniakova is 5-5 across recent matches.

The serve is where this match separates: Keys has been winning 65.5% of first-serve points to Siniakova's 61.1%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Keys — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Janice Tjen and Mirra Andreeva meet in the round of 32 at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Mirra Andreeva has won 7 of the last 10. Janice Tjen comes in at 3 wins from the last ten.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Tjen needs several things to break right at once; the percentages say they usually don't.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Tuesday, when Daniel Vallejo goes up against Tommy Paul in the Cincinnati round of 32. Tommy Paul comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Daniel Vallejo has won 6 of the last 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Paul has been winning 69.4% of first-serve points to Vallejo's 64.9%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. Paul should have enough here, though Vallejo has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

Tuesday's Cincinnati round of 32 pits Felix Auger Aliassime against Juan Manuel Cerundolo on hard. Felix Auger Aliassime is 7-3 across recent matches. Juan Manuel Cerundolo comes in at 6 wins from the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Aliassime has been winning 75.5% of first-serve points to Cerundolo's 67.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Aliassime — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Lorenzo Musetti and Michael Zheng meet in the round of 32 at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Lorenzo Musetti is 7-3 across recent matches. Michael Zheng has won 6 of the last 10.

Lorenzo Musetti is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Musetti around 66%. The edge belongs to Musetti — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Tuesday, when Christopher Oconnell goes up against Joao Fonseca in the Cincinnati round of 32. Joao Fonseca comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Christopher Oconnell comes in at 6 wins from the last ten.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. If Fonseca plays anywhere close to a normal level, this ends in relatively comfortable fashion.

Tuesday's Cincinnati round of 32 pits Adam Walton against Jaime Faria on hard. Adam Walton comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Jaime Faria comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Neither the serve numbers nor the ratings separate these two by much, which is why our number stays close to even. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Walton fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Marta Kostyuk and Sloane Stephens meet in the round of 32 at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Marta Kostyuk is 8-2 across recent matches. Sloane Stephens has won 4 of the last 10.

Marta Kostyuk is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Kostyuk around 82%. Anything other than a Kostyuk win would rank among the bigger surprises of the week.