Gauff out, Alcaraz halted in Cincinnati Open

Alcaraz, who recently claimed the Wimbledon and French Open titles, was leading France’s Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-6 (1/3) when play was suspended due to rain. The Cincinnati Open serves as the final major preparation before the US Open, which begins on August 26. The top-seeded Alcaraz, last year’s runner-up to Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati, also earned a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, losing the final to Djokovic. This event marks his return to hardcourt action following his victory in Miami, after skipping the ATP Montreal Masters last week.

Meanwhile, Gauff, who became Cincinnati’s youngest champion at age 19 last year, was upset by Yulia Putintseva in a closely contested match. Putintseva, who has developed a reputation for upsets, triumphed 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, sending a disappointed Gauff back to the drawing board as she prepares to defend her US Open title. Ranked 34th, Putintseva recently defeated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, adding to her string of surprise victories.

“I’m really proud of myself. These courts are so fast, you have to just play on instinct. That’s what I did,” Putintseva remarked after the match.

Gauff acknowledged her struggles, saying, “I have to work on overall consistency. I made a lot of unforced errors, especially when I was up 4-2 in the third set. Most of the points Putintseva won were due to my errors. She’s tricky to play, mixes up the ball, and likes drop shots. She makes you earn the match.”

Putintseva will face Spain’s Paula Badosa in the next round, following Badosa’s victory over Anna Kalinskaya, 6-3, 6-2.

In another match, third seed Aryna Sabalenka successfully advanced by defeating Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka, who missed Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics due to a shoulder injury, expressed satisfaction with her performance, highlighting the difficulty of her opponent.

On the men’s side, third seed Alexander Zverev, the 2021 Cincinnati champion, secured his ATP-leading 50th win of the season by defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2. Zverev, who was unwell last week in Montreal, noted an improvement in his form and expressed hope that it would continue to progress.

Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta will be Zverev’s next opponent after his 6-3, 6-3 win over Australia’s Max Purcell. In a notable upset, Britain’s Jack Draper defeated ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Draper managed to turn the match around by winning 12 of the last 14 points, after Tsitsipas served for the match at 5-4 in the third set.

Holger Rune also secured a victory, defeating Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (10/8). Fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz, who made a surprising comeback from knee surgery in July, won his opening match against Yoshihito Nishioka 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. He will next face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, who advanced after compatriot Luca Darderi retired due to illness.

In the women’s draw, Elena Rybakina, in her first match since Wimbledon, was defeated by Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez saved two match points to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, upsetting the fourth seed. Rybakina, who missed the Paris Games due to acute bronchitis, struggled with 17 double faults, including on match points.

Elina Svitolina, a semi-finalist at Cincinnati nine years ago, secured a win against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-4, 6-1. She will next face Sabalenka, who has won their last two matches, including a Roland Garros quarter-final in 2023 and a three-setter in Rome earlier this year.

Lastly, newly minted Armenian Elina Avanesyan pulled off a stunning comeback against eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.