Related items

• Lehecka stuns Medvedev to reach last 16 of Cincinnati Open

  Daniil Medvedev suffered consecutive opening game losses as he was dumped out of the Cincinnati Open by Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. 

  Medvedev, who was beaten by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Montreal last week, endured another early exit, losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in just under two hours against the Czech.

  “It’s amazing to be back, to be honest. To get a win against such a talented player as Daniil surely is, is just such a bonus for me," Lehecka said on being back in his first tournament in three months after injury.

  Lehecka squandered four game points in the opener, with Medvedev also missing an opportunity for an early break, but the Czech was able to hold his opening serve. 

  The pair traded blows for the remainder, but the world number five struggled in the tiebreak, losing three games in a row to hand Lehecka the advantage. 

  And the decisive moment came in the seventh game of the second, as Lehecka broke Medvedev's serve, edging closer to a memorable triumph. 

  The Czech missed four match points in the final two games, but was not to be denied a fifth time, ending the encounter with a fierce serve to set up a meeting with Frances Tiafoe in the next round. 

  Data Debrief: Lehecka continues winning return in Cincinnati

  Since 1990, Lehecka is now the fourth player ranked outside the ATP's top 30 to claim top five wins at three ATP Masters 1000 events in a season after Gaston Gaudio (2001), Hicham Arazi (2001) and Tommy Paul (2022). 

  Excluding the ATP Tour Finals, Medvedev has been defeated in three consecutive ATP matches on hard court for the first time since October in 2017.

• Swiatek survives on hardcourt return in first game since Paris Olympics

  Iga Swiatek survived in her return to hard courts at the Cincinnati Open, outlasting Varvara Gracheva in three sets to advance to the third round. 

  Swiatek, who was playing in her first match since her bronze medal at the Olympics, was taken to a third-set decider, but emerged as a 6-0 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 victor in Ohio.

  “For sure, the transition is probably the hardest, from the slowest surface to the fastest surface,” Swiatek said.

  “But that’s why I’m still happy with my performance, and looking forward to another match to kind of still do the grinding and implement what I was working on, but not really focusing on the results.”

  The world number one looked set for a comfortable passage to the next round of the competition after winning the first set 6-0, serving three of her seven aces in the opener.

  But her French opponent responded, matching Swiatek stride for stride in the second before prevailing in a tie-break to take the encounter the distance. 

  However, Swiatek would once again show her dominance, winning the final four games in a row to set up an encounter with Marta Kostyuk, who defeated Lulu Sun in straight sets. 

  Data Debrief: Swiatek surpasses yearly triumphs

  Despite a third set, Swiatek has claimed 11.2% (27/242) of total sets played by a score of 6-0 in completed WTA 1000 matches - the highest rate of any player (min. 20 sets) since the format's introduction in 2009.

  The Pole now has 28 WTA-1000 match wins in 2024, surpassing her own career-high of 27 (2023). Only Serena Williams (36, 2013) has now recorded more WTA-1000 wins in a season, since the format’s introduction in 2009.

• Sinner passes Michelsen test in Cincinnati opener

  Jannik Sinner began his Cincinnati Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 win over Alex Michelsen, bouncing back from his injury scare at the Canadian Open last week.

  Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev in Montreal last time out, appearing to struggle with a hip issue throughout that loss after missing the Paris Olympics due to a bout of tonsillitis. 

  However, the Italian played down any concerns over his fitness ahead of his last-32 match in Cincinnati, where he was pushed all the way by Michelsen but held firm to advance.

  Sinner had to save eight break points in one hour and 52 minutes on court, committing as many unforced errors (19) as his American opponent.

  However, breaks in the very first game of the opener and the penultimate game of the second set proved decisive for the Australian Open winner, who will now face either Sebastian Baez or Jordan Thompson for a quarter-final place.

  Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back from his first-round Canadian Open exit at the hands of Kei Nishikori, fighting from a set and a break down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3.

  Speaking after his win, Tsitsipas – who will face Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next – said: "I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. 

  "Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working."

  Data Debrief: Sinner looking to stay perfect

  Sinner's victory improved his record on hard courts to 25-2 for the season, and a first quarter-final berth at Cincinnati is now within his sights.

  He has reached at least the last eight at all five ATP 1000 Masters tournaments he has played this year, though his only such title came in Miami in March.