Defending champion Coco Gauff suffered an early exit at the Cincinnati Open, being surprised 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.
Upsets and Highlights in the Elimination Round
Putintseva, who has been making headlines after her victory over world number 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, advances to the fourth round where she will face Spanish player Paula Badosa.
The surprises didn't stop with Gauff's defeat. Fourth seed Elena Rybakina also faced an unexpected elimination in the second round, falling to Leylah Fernandez by 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Fernandez, who was the runner-up 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 comfortably defeated American Ashlyn Krueger.
In contrast, third seed Aryna Sabalenka had no issues, advancing to the Round of 16 with a victory of 6-3, 6-4 over Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, will take on Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina in the next round, after Svitolina dominated Spanish player Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, winning 6-4, 6-1.
In another noteworthy match, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva continued to impress, defeating veteran Czech player Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-3, advancing even further in the tournament.
