Cincinnati Open: Coco Gauff and other top seeds stumble in early rounds

The defending champion, Coco Gauff, faced a surprising defeat in her opening match at the Cincinnati Open. Last year’s youngest Cincinnati champion, Gauff, was unable to replicate her success this time around. Despite holding a 4-2 lead in the third set, the No. 2 seed lost to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in a hard-fought battle that ended 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. This marked Putintseva’s first victory over Gauff in their four career meetings.

In addition to Gauff, other women’s seeds also stumbled in the early rounds of the tournament. The No. 4 seed, Elena Rybakina, was defeated by Leylah Fernandez in a tight match that ended 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Despite the upsets, No. 3 seed Aryna Sabalenka managed to secure a win in her opening match against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Taylor Townsend continued her impressive form by defeating the No. 9 seed, Daria Kasatkina, in three sets to advance to the next round.

The men’s singles category also saw its share of surprises, with seeds facing unexpected defeats. No. 8 seed Grigor Dimitrov was ousted by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in a three-set thriller that ended 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Similarly, No. 9 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fell to Britain’s Jack Draper in a closely contested match that finished 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

As the tournament progresses, fans can look forward to intriguing matchups between some of the sport’s top talents. Spain’s Paula Badosa will take on Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the women’s singles, while Taylor Townsend will face either Jessica Pegula or Karolina Muchova. In the men’s singles, rising star Carlos Alcaraz will resume his match against Gael Monfils in a thrilling encounter that was interrupted by rain. Additionally, Brandon Nakashima will challenge No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev in what promises to be an exciting battle on the court.

Overall, the Cincinnati Open has already provided fans with plenty of exciting moments and unexpected results, setting the stage for thrilling matchups in the upcoming rounds. As the tournament unfolds, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious and claim the prestigious title.