Tiebreak settles the opener
On the Grandstand Court in Cincinnati, Luca Van Assche and Dušan Lajović served up a closely contested qualifying final that went the full distance. The Frenchman, seeded No. 1 in the qualifying draw, ultimately prevailed 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 to book his place in the main draw of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
The first set was a battle of nerves that only found its resolution in the tiebreak, where Van Assche held his nerve to win it 7-5 and take the opening set. Lajović, who plays with a one-handed backhand and had fought his way into the final with a three-set win over Benjamin Bonzi, refused to be unsettled by the early deficit.
Lajović levels — Van Assche responds
The second set brought out the best in Lajović. The Serb took control of proceedings, converted his break points with authority and claimed the set comfortably, 6-2. In doing so, he forced a deciding set and kept his hopes of reaching the main draw very much alive.
The third set, however, belonged to Van Assche. The Frenchman rediscovered his rhythm, resolutely fended off his opponent's break points and made his own chances count when they came. He took the set 6-3 to seal the match.
Tight on paper — but Van Assche the more efficient
The statistics reflected how evenly matched the two players were. Van Assche won 51 percent of all points, with Lajović close behind on 49 percent. On serve, the Frenchman won 75 percent of first-serve points and 50 percent on his second serve, while Lajović was just behind at 74 and 49 percent respectively. Both players converted 75 percent of their break points — the decisive difference ultimately came down to consistency: Van Assche committed 42 unforced errors, significantly fewer than Lajović's tally of 62.
Notably, Lajović struck 25 winners to Van Assche's 18, yet the Serb gave away too many cheap points to turn that edge into a match advantage. Van Assche's eight double faults were a minor blemish, but in the context of his overall efficiency, they proved not costly enough to matter.
Main draw place marks the next step
For Van Assche, reaching the Cincinnati Open main draw is further proof of his strong form this season. The Frenchman arrived in qualifying having won seven of his last ten matches and had already added titles to his name in the 2026 season. In their head-to-head, he now leads Lajović 3-1, including two wins on hard courts. Cincinnati holds a special place in his story: back in 2023, he fell at the first hurdle in qualifying. Three years on, he stands in the main draw of one of the most prestigious tournaments outside the Grand Slams — and the last major dress rehearsal before the US Open.
