
Cincinnati, August 11 (HS): Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek eased into the fourth round of the WTA-ATP Cincinnati Open without striking a ball, after 27th-ranked Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk pulled out of their third-round clash citing a right wrist injury.
2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko was the beneficiary of similar fortune, progressing when Colombia’s Camila Osorio withdrew due to an abdominal injury.
Second seed Coco Gauff, the 2023 Cincinnati champion, delivered a polished performance to dispatch China’s Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2 in 71 minutes. The American battled through a tightly contested opening set before finding her rhythm in the second.
The start was rough, but it was about trusting myself and the work I’ve put in, Gauff said after the win.
Elsewhere, third seed Jessica Pegula overcame Australia’s Kimberly Birrell 6-4, 6-3, while seventh seed Jasmine Paolini edged past Greece’s Maria Sakkari in two tense tiebreak sets, 7-6(7/2), 7-6(7/5).
With top seeds holding firm, the women’s draw is shaping up for high-profile clashes in the next rounds. Swiatek will next face the winner of the tie between Sorana Cîrstea and Yue Yuan, while Gauff and Pegula remain on course for potential deep runs as Cincinnati’s hard courts heat up in the summer showdown.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar