Cincinnati Open: Jannik Sinner, Ayna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek Cruise Into Second Round
'It's always a tough match against her," Sabalenka said. 'She pushed me to the limit. If you lose focus even a little bit, it can cost you a set. I had to fight for every point against her," she added.
Sabalenka is set to face Emma Raducanu in her next match after the Brit's 6-3, 6-2 victory over Olga Danilovic.
Meanwhile, Sinner outclassed Colombia's Galan with 17 winners and only four unforced errors. Sinner won the first five games in 15 minutes, allowing his 144th-ranked opponent, who came through qualifying, little breathing room.
The 59-minute victory was the fastest of Sinner's ATP career, beating his previous quickest by one minute. Sinner secured his 22nd consecutive win on hardcourt, with his last loss in the Beijing final in September to rival Carlos Alcaraz.
'I didn't know what to expect," Sinner said of his return to the hard-court tournament. 'I'm happy because it's not easy to play here. The ball is flying, and you have to serve very precisely if you want to go far in the tournament. Today I was finding my spots, but there is still a little room to improve. For a first match, it could not have gone better."
After winning the first set, Sinner broke to start the second before Galan held in a seven-minute game, fighting off five break points. But it was only a brief reprieve, as Sinner fired three aces to hold for 3-1 and surged to victory.
Elsewhere, eighth-seeded Lorenz Musetti and 11th-seeded Casper Ruud were defeated by French opponents. Benjamin Bonzi beat Musetti 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), while Artur Rinderknech overcame Ruud 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2, capitalising on Ruud's 34 unforced errors.
Rinderknech was pleased with his success in his Cincinnati debut. 'I stayed aggressive throughout the match," he said. 'You cannot let Casper start to dictate."
Seventh seed Holger Rune won his opener 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) over Russian Roman Safiullin and will next play American Alex Michelsen, who defeated Corentin Moutet of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek earned an efficient opening win over Anastasia Potapova, 6-1, 6-4, as the third-seeded Pole moved into the third round in just 74 minutes, saving four of the five break points she faced.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Liverpool beat Bournemouth in Premier League opener as Ekitike, Gakpo, Chiesa and Salah shine
Liverpool launched their Premier League title defense with a dominating 4-2 win against AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday (August 15). The defending champions showcased their attacking talent, with new signings Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, alongside star players Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Mohamed Salah, delivering standout performances. Hugo Ekitike, who was signed by the club in the summer, made an immediate impact by opening the scoring in the 37th minute. The young French striker calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after a slick interplay with Florian Wirtz. Liverpool were leading 1-0 at halftime. Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool's lead just three minutes after the start of the second half. Linking up brilliantly with Ekitike, Gakpo cut inside and placed a precise shot into the bottom corner, igniting the Anfield crowd. Bournemouth bounced back, leveling the score at 2-2 with goals that exposed some vulnerabilities in Liverpool's defense. Antoine Semenyo scored both goals for his team in the 64th minute and the 76th minute. However, Federico Chiesa, another summer addition, restored Liverpool's lead in the 88th minute with a close-range finish, marking his first Premier League goal. On the other hand, Mohamed Salah scored his tenth goal in season openers by finishing inside the box with his right foot. Arne Slot's team, Liverpool blended new and established stars, with Alisson in goal, a back four of Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez, and Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai anchoring the midfield. The attacking quartet of Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, and Ekitike overwhelmed Bournemouth's defense, which featured debutants Bafode Diakite and Adrien Truffert. Despite Bournemouth's resilience, Liverpool's attacking depth under Slot proved decisive. This win has laid a strong foundation for the defending champions, Liverpool, with their new signings integrating seamlessly and Salah continuing to lead by example. Bournemouth, despite the defeat, showed promise, building on their ninth-place finish last season under Andoni Iraola. Liverpool will now face Newcastle United on August 25. On the other hand, Bournemouth AFC have their next game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 23.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rajeev Ram reflects on his unique journey, tennis success, thoughts on doubles and mentoring young talent.
For Indian tennis fans, Rajeev Ram at once seems a close cousin and a distant relative. The 41-year-old's parents were from India and his biggest doubles successes — Australian Open 2020 and a hat-trick of US Opens from 2021 to 2023 — have resonated in the sub-continent. But he is also proudly American, and is mentoring the next generation there. He sat courtside as fellow Indian-American Nishesh Basavareddy, then 19, took on Novak Djokovic in the first-round of the 2025 Australian Open. Incidentally, Rajeev and Venus Williams beat Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in a close semifinal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Rajeev [with Joe Salisbury] also overcame Bopanna [and Matthew Ebden] in the 2023 US Open final. The six-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic medallist spoke to The Hindu on his tennis journey, the state of doubles, the mixed doubles rejig at the upcoming US Open and more. Excerpts: ALSO READ | Open and shut case: Jaiswal and Rahul making headway as a partnership at the top How do you assess your year so far? In professional sport, it's a lot of up and down. My results this year haven't been what I've gotten used to over the last few years. But I'm 41 and have been very fortunate to have played at a pretty high level for the better part of 20 years. So, I'm taking it in my stride. The US Open is my favourite tournament, so I am really looking forward [to it]. What has kept you going for so long? I played singles as a priority until 2017. We, as tennis players, begin with aspirations to play at the top level in singles. I'm very proud of the fact that I became a top-60 player and won two titles on the Tour. My doubles-only career started in 2017, and even though it was much after I turned pro, it still was fresh when Joe and I won the Australian Open in 2020. It's a lot about attitude. The thing that's always been important is consistently trying to improve. If you have that attitude, you can sometimes take even losses as a positive. As heartbreaking as some of them are, sometimes they're the biggest motivators. I used them as fire and fuel. I've actually had to be more aware of myself when I've been winning a lot because you get a little bit satisfied. How has the doubles game evolved? It's changed a lot. When I started, players, especially those who transitioned from singles, would try to develop their net game a bit more. In the last three or four years, I've seen a big shift where that's really not the case. Most teams now have at least one player who serves and stays back all the time. There's more comfort from the baseline. A lot of the players don't really worry about serving and volleying anymore. From the returner's perspective, it's a lot more about pace, being aggressive and trying to get a hold on the point straight away. Whereas, when I started playing, there was a little bit more feel, more finesse. Doubles is very entertaining and popular as a recreational sport. But it doesn't get good broadcast slots or matches on the show courts, especially in the first week of a Major. Are these hindering the growth? Absolutely. Anything that is put on the back-burner in terms of promotion and marketing is going to be treated that way by people who watch it. I'm not saying by any stretch that it needs to be at the same level as singles. But there are definitely stories that could be marketed a lot more. Like Rohan having so much success at such a late age [World No. 1 and 2024 Australian Open title]. Croatia's Mate Pavic won the French Open last year and completed the career Golden Slam [along with Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold]. But I don't think it got the push that a truly rare achievement in our sport should have got. Next is to highlight the partnerships. There could be quite a bit more of that, just to get to know the players at the personal level. ALSO READ | Sai Sudharsan: 'It was clear that we were in England to create history' In such a scenario, how does the move by the US Open to completely transform its mixed doubles feel? It is being played in the week before the Slam and has more singles players than doubles. It's two parts for me. I applaud their idea to innovate. As much as doubles was on the back-burner, mixed doubles was behind even more. So putting it in its own week, with fanfare, is great. Tennis could use mixed doubles as the flag-bearer, as men and women play men and women for Olympic medals and Grand Slam titles. But they [US Open] made it such that doubles players couldn't even enter. You can't unless you have a singles ranking. That's where I feel opposed. They should [have] just let everybody enter. A lot of the players that got in from singles would have still gotten in. It would have been a bit more legitimate to give a Grand Slam trophy for. If you were in a position of power, what would you do to increase traction for doubles? I mentioned Rohan winning so late. Joe and I won three US Opens on the trot. So the stories are there. They just need to be told. Secondly, social media is such a big part of our world. We have exciting points happening every day. They don't need to be necessarily in the main stadiums or even on TV. If we could do a better job of showcasing them, people would be drawn to the game. Most of those who are watching are doubles players themselves and they can have a little bit of a relationship there. The third thing is to just tell the story of the partnerships. Joe and I played together for six years. We can do a little bit more of getting outside tennis and highlighting the personalities. ALSO READ | Injuries are a part of cricket; injury substitutes are unnecessary You have been mentoring Nishesh, among the brightest talents to emerge from the United States. What do you think India can do to develop such a player? I wish there was some magic recipe. Nishesh and I… our relationship is unique. Of all the places in the US, he moved to the little town that I'm from [Carmel, Indiana]. We have the same coach, Bryan Smith, and I have to give him a lot of credit. He not only teaches us to be good tennis players but also teaches us to give back to the next group. It was always something I was going to do for him [Nishesh] and a few others. Also, coming from the exact same background as I have, an America-born kid with Indian heritage… a lot of pieces came together. What India can do… I think it is very important for a player to feel that he or she is not alone and not feel like they have to reach a certain level for it to be successful. Just the effort of trying to be the best you can be is success in itself. I was really lucky that my dad had the foresight to realise that in the US, sports can actually open doors. I would have never gone to the colleges that I went to if I wasn't a tennis player. So, maybe, just a slight shift in mentality for what it really means to be a high-level athlete and what success really is [can help India].
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Rybakina rips No.1 Sabalenka to book Cincinnati semi with Swiatek
Elena Rybakina defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-1, 6-4 on Friday to knock the defending champion out in the quarter-finals of the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Open. HT Image Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, claimed a fifth victory in her 12-match personal rivalry with the world number one. The victory was revenge for a loss to Sabalenka on Berlin grass two months ago. Rybakina will play in a semi-final against Iga Swiatek, who defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4. Third-seeded reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek dominated to break fresh ground at one of the only two 1000-level tournament where she has failed to reach a final Rybakina was helped by 11 aces as she upset Sabalenka to achieve her first Cincinnati semi-final. "I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," Rybakina said. "I served really well. "If she had been serving well it would have been a totally different match. It was also intense from the baseline. I just hope to continue like this." Rybakina has won her last three matches against Swiatek, all played this season. The Kazakh held her nerve in the second set as Sabalenka delivered a pair of love games, with Rybakina saving a pair of break points with aces to lead by a set and 5-3. Swiatek needed 93 minutes and five match points to get past Kalinskaya and earn revenge for a loss she took in February 2024 in a Dubai semi-final. The former world number one finally moved into the Cincinnati final four on a steamy day after the 34th-ranked Kalinskaya saved four match points in the penultimate game. But third seed Swiatek, enduring 30 Celsius temperatures, finally prevailed to advance to her fourth 1000-level semi-final of the season. "We need to get used to the heat with how the world is changing," the winner of six Grand Slams said. "It's getting worse and worse, I guess." Swiatek, who broke on three of 11 chances in the match, said the contest was "much different" from her loss last season against Kalinskaya. "I just played my game. It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity," she said. Swiatek heads into the semi-finals with 47 wins and the Wimbledon title in hand this season. str/js This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
