Defending champion Coco Gauff faced an early exit at the Cincinnati Open, stunned by Yulia Putintseva in her opening match. Gauff, who also captured her first Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open, struggled to find an answer as Putintseva rallied to win the last four games, securing a victory of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Putintseva and Other Surprises in the Second Round
Putintseva, who is on the rise after her victory over world number 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, advances to the fourth round where she will face Spain's Paula Badosa.
The surprises continued after Gauff's defeat. Fourth seed Elena Rybakina also suffered an unexpected elimination in the second round, falling to Leylah Fernandez 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Fernandez, who was the runner-up to Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open, showed signs of returning to her best form as she prepares for another deep run in Flushing Meadows. Fernandez will face Diana Shnaider in the third round after Shnaider's straight-set victory over American Ashlyn Krueger.
In contrast, third seed Aryna Sabalenka had no such issues, advancing to the round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, will face Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina in the next round after Svitolina dominated Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, winning 6-4, 6-1.
In another noteworthy match, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva continued to impress, defeating veteran Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-3, advancing further in the tournament.
