Frances Tiafoe (back) retires from fourth-round match at Cincinnati Open
Tenth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe was forced to retire Wednesday due to a lower-back injury down 4-6, 1-3 when facing Denmark's Holger Rune, the No. 7 seed, at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
Tiafoe leapt out to an early lead in the fourth-round match, winning each of the first three games. But he proceeded to lose six of the next seven games, taking a medical break while trailing 4-5 in the first set, then retiring down a break in the second set.
Rune won 90 percent (19 of 21) of his first-serve points in the abbreviated match, finishing with more than twice as many winners (24 to 10) as Tiafoe.
'From 4-4, when I got the break, and at 5-4, when he had the medical timeout, that's when I felt something was not right with him and after, obviously, I could see he was struggling a little bit,' Rune said. 'As the game is, I tried to move him as much as possible. It's never nice to finish a match like this and I wish him the best recovery.'
After play was suspended Tuesday evening due to inclement weather, rain once again caused delays during Wednesday's action.
Although there was a delay of nearly three hours, that didn't seem to slow down top competitors such as No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy, who defeated France's Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 7-6 (4), and fifth-seeded American Ben Shelton, who disposed of Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain 7-6 (3), 6-3, around the extended delay.
With his victory Wednesday, Sinner became just the fourth player since 1990 to reach nine consecutive ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals, joining Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany needed just one game on Wednesday to defeat No. 27 seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-4 after their match was suspended Tuesday night. Zverev faces Russian Karen Khachanov on Wednesday evening after his brief action earlier in the day.
No. 23 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada defeated France's Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 15 minutes on Wednesday to advance to face Sinner for a spot in the semifinals.
In evening action, No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain faces Italian Lucas Nardi, fourth-seeded American Taylor Fritz faces France's Terance Atmane for a spot in the quarterfinals against Rune, and Russian No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev faces Argentina's Francisco Comesana.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Karol G to headline halftime show during YouTube's first exclusive NFL broadcast, live from Brazil
NEW YORK (AP) — Bringing football fans, Brazil and Karol G together for a one-night experience? That's a winning formula. The Grammy award-winning musician will headline a halftime show during YouTube's first exclusive NFL broadcast next month, which will stream live from Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 5. That's the NFL week 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the reigning AFC-winning Kansas City Chiefs. 'This year has been truly rewarding, and the timing of this opportunity — to be part of such an important moment like YouTube's first-ever NFL live broadcast — is perfect,' the singer shared in an exclusive written statement. 'With my latest album 'Tropicoqueta,' I set out to represent the many facets of my Latin culture, something I'm incredibly passionate about in everything I do. I'm excited to bring that same energy and pride to this global stage and honored to continue elevating Latin culture on such a monumental platform.' It's a natural pairing. Karol G is a global superstar, American football is growing in popularity worldwide, and many of the world's most ardent music fans call Brazil home — it's one of the many reasons 'Come to Brazil' has become a stalwart meme, a three-word stand-in for the ultimate expression of fandom. 'Our goal is to highlight the excitement and Americana of the NFL, but do this thoughtfully in a way that plays to local cultures, practices and traditions,' said Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation and entertainment at the NFL. Booking Karol G 'not only excites our fans and pays homage to their culture in South America, but has an impact on a global scale,' he added. 'We hope all of our fans are ready for a historic celebration.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The game is free to stream for fans across the globe, exclusively through YouTube and YouTube TV. It begins at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern / 9 p.m. BRT (local time). A pre-show kicks off an hour earlier. 'To celebrate this moment, we are thrilled that global superstar Karol G will perform during our halftime show,' said Angela Courtin, VP of sports and entertainment marketing at YouTube in a statement. 'The game and performance will be broadcast worldwide for free on YouTube, blending the fandom of sports and music together for one epic cultural moment.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ten Hag says he can't work Harry Potter-style magic to hasten Leverkusen rebuild
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Erik ten Hag has warned he can't work Harry Potter-style magic to forge a new-look Bayer Leverkusen into a true team as the ex-Manchester United manager prepares for his first game in charge. Ten Hag's first job since leaving United sees the Dutch coach faced with a major rebuild at Leverkusen following the departure of his title-winning predecessor Xabi Alonso and key players including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka. 'I know how to manage processes and you can't force the process. It's impossible. No one is like Harry Potter,' Ten Hag said on Thursday ahead of his first game on Friday in the German Cup against fourth-tier Sonnenhof Grossaspach. 'Harry, he can really (quickly) construct a team, and in the same time it's successful, but that is not how top football works.' Ten Hag used the Harry Potter line in his time at United, too. Following a loss to Liverpool in September 2024, he said he was no Harry Potter while explaining the difficulties of relying on players who hadn't had much game time. Less than two months later, Ten Hag was fired by United after four losses in nine Premier League games. Ten Hag said he and the Leverkusen players will have to work hard together through the first half of the season and into the spring to be able to fight for trophies at the end of the campaign. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'For me, the start of the season is the middle of March, April 1, then you have to be in a position that you can win something,' he said. 'Until that time, we all have to work unbelievably hard to get into that position, to develop and progress the game model and to develop the team and the individual players.' New signings ahead of Friday's game include American attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, who Ten Hag said wasn't fit to play, ex-Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah and former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Leverkusen confirmed midfielder Robert Andrich was the captain after goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky left for Monaco. ___ AP soccer:
Canada News.Net
10 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Frances Tiafoe (back) retires from 4th-round match in Cincinnati
(Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images) Tenth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe was forced to retire Wednesday due to a lower-back injury down 6-4, 3-1 while facing Denmark's Holger Rune, the No. 7 seed, at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio. Tiafoe leapt out to an early lead in the fourth-round match, winning each of the first three games. But he proceeded to lose six of the next seven games, taking a medical break while trailing 4-5 in the first set, then retiring down a break in the second set. Rune won 90 percent (19 of 21) of his first-serve points in the abbreviated match, finishing with more than twice as many winners (24 to 10) as Tiafoe. 'From 4-4, when I got the break, and at 5-4, when he had the medical timeout, that's when I felt something was not right with him and after, obviously, I could see he was struggling a little bit,' Rune said. 'As the game is, I tried to move him as much as possible. It's never nice to finish a match like this and I wish him the best recovery.' After play was suspended Tuesday evening due to inclement weather, rain once again caused delays during the Wednesday action. Although there was a delay of nearly three hours, that didn't seem to slow down top competitors such as No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy, who defeated France's Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 7-6 (4), and fifth-seeded American Ben Shelton, who disposed of Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain 7-6 (3), 6-3, around the extended delay. With his victory Wednesday, Sinner became just the fourth player since 1990 to reach nine consecutive ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals, joining Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany needed just one game on Wednesday to defeat No. 27 seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-4 after their match was suspended Tuesday night. Zverev faces Russian Karen Khachanov on Wednesday evening after his brief action earlier in the day. No. 23 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada defeated France's Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 15 minutes on Wednesday to advance to face Sinner for a spot in the semifinals. In evening action, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain cruised past Italian Lucas Nardi 6-1, 6-4 to reach a quarterfinal match vs. No. 9 Andrey Rublev of Russia, a 6-2, 6-3 victor over Argentina's Francisco Comesana. French qualifier Terence Atmane upset No. 4 Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals against Rune.
