Two-time US Open champion Venus Williams has been given a wildcard entry to participate in this year's tournament.
The 41-year-old American will be making her 23rd appearance at Flushing Meadows and a 15th in a row.
Williams, who has not missed a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2013, is one of eight wild card selections for the women's singles draw.
Former semi-finalist CoCo Vandeweghe and Emma Navarro are joined by teenagers Hailey Baptiste, Ashlyn Krueger, Caty McNally and Katie Volynets.
Storm Sanders has been awarded a reciprocal wild card in agreement with Tennis Australia.
Naomi Osaka will be looking to defend her title in New York, with the main draw scheduled to run from August 30 to September 11.
Jasper Philipsen hailed an "incredible" team performance from Alpecin-Fenix after he clinched his second stage victory of this year's Vuelta a Espana.
Philipsen, who won stage 15 last year and triumphed in stage two three days ago, edged a bunch sprint at the culmination of a crash-hit stage five on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old powered away on the final straight of a 184.4 kilometre flat route into Albacete, crossing the line ahead of Tuesday's winner Fabio Jakobsen and Alberto Dainese.
"It makes it even more beautiful if you see the final five kilometres how we were there together all with the team. I cannot describe that," said the Belgian, who also took the green jersey as the points leader.
"This team, we haven't been riding so long together but it's incredible what we all do for each other, and I think it's so beautiful to finish it off together.
"After yesterday I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't do my sprint how I wanted but to win today is super nice to turn a page from yesterday and enjoy this moment together with the team."
His victory came after the group split with around 11km remaining – an incident that held up leader Rein Taaramae.
With Taaramae falling back, Kenny Elissonde nipped in to take La Roja, though Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic, the two-time defending champion, is only five seconds behind ahead of a summit finish in stage six.
"This is not the way I wanted to take jersey, but we know in cycling that when there's wind there's risk," said Elissonde.
"Okay, I don't like it, it was not a pleasure, but at the end of the day I cannot do anything else. It is what it is.
"It's still incredible to wear the jersey. After the Tour [de France] and Olympics, I took it easy, my team said 'Kenny, go to the Vuelta and see day by day', and look. It's incredible. It's super cool."
STAGE RESULT
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 04:24:41
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) same time
3. Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) same time
4. Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (UAE Team Emirates) same time
5. Piet Allegaert (COFIDIS) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) +17:33:57
2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +0:05
3. Lilian Calmejane (AG2R Citroen Team) +0:10
Points Classification
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 131
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) 130
3. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 50
King of the Mountains
1. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 10
2. Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) 7
3. Joe Dombrowski (UAE Team Emirates) 6
What's next?
A 158.3km route from Requena to Alto de la Montana de Cullera descends into a mostly flat run until a sharp, category three summit finish.
Defending US Open champion Dominic Thiem will miss this year's tournament with a wrist injury that will rule him out until 2022.
The 27-year-old suffered the setback at the Mallorca Open in June and also withdrew from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
World number six Thiem won his maiden grand slam at Flushing Meadows last year with victory over Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller, but he will not get the chance to defend his title in New York.
"Having spent a week training on court, I still felt pain in my wrist and I knew that it was not 100 per cent," Thiem posted in a statement on his Twitter page on Wednesday.
"I went to see my doctors again and we have decided to follow a conservative treatment, giving the injury more time to recover.
"I'm very disappointed not to be able to defend my US Open title and to miss the rest of the season.
"But I know this is what I have to do. I have a long career ahead of me, so I will only come back once I'm fully recovered and in good shape to compete."
Thiem has a record of nine wins and nine losses this season, with his best result coming at the Madrid Open in May when reaching the semi-finals.
Twenty-time grand slam winner Roger Federer last week pulled out of the US Open, which runs from August 30 until September 12, after undergoing knee surgery.
The 2021 Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled due to "ongoing complexities" related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Race organisers on Wednesday announced that the event at the Suzuka circuit will not take place for a second successive year.
The COVID-19 crisis pandemic prevented the 2020 from being staged and a race due to be staged on October 10 has also been called off.
A statement from Formula One said: "Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities in Japan the decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country.
"Formula One is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.
"Formula One has proven this year, and in 2020, that we can adapt and find solutions to the ongoing uncertainties and is excited by the level of interest in locations to host Formula One events this year and beyond."
The F1 season resumes with the Belgium Grand Prix on August 29, with Lewis Hamilton holding an eight-point lead over Max Verstappen at the top of the driver standings.
Simona Halep says she is no longer afraid of coronavirus after getting vaccinated and hopes more players will take the jab.
Halep opted against travelling to New York for the US Open last year due to the pandemic before testing positive for COVID-19 last October.
The two-time grand slam champion missed the French Open and Wimbledon this year with a torn calf muscle, but claimed her first win since May at the Western and Southern on Tuesday, beating Magda Linette 6-4 3-6 6-0.
Former world number one Halep revealed she feels much more comfortable back on the circuit after taking the vaccine.
"I don't feel afraid, because I am vaccinated," The Romanian told reporters. "I feel protected. I am taking care. I wear the mask when many people are around."
Players have faced strict protocols since the tour resumed, with the challenges of staying in biosecure bubbles and playing in empty stadiums last year before restrictions gradually eased.
Stefanos Tsitsipas this week said that he would only take the vaccine if it becomes mandatory to play on the ATP Tour after Novak Djokovic stated he hopes it will not become a requirement to take the jab.
Halep hopes fellow professionals take the vaccine so they do not face such strict protocols.
"I don't like the bubbles," Halep said. "I feel very stressed when I'm in the bubble.
"So if people can vaccinate more and more (it) will be better, because we will not have more restrictions anymore."
Youngster Jo Adell crushed a go-ahead grand slam to guide the Los Angeles Angels to a stunning 8-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers in MLB on Tuesday.
With the scores locked at 2-2 and bases loaded at the top of the ninth inning, the 22-year-old stepped up to deliver his first home run of the season at the perfect time for the Angels.
Adell hit a Gregory Soto fastball high over left-field, which came after he was seen receiving advice from Mike Trout in the batting cage pre-game following a poor recent run.
"He pulled me aside and told me I've been having really good at-bats and spitting on the pitches I can't handle but to stay on the fastball," Adell said. "Something was in the zone hard, and I was ready to attack.
"It was electric. When I hit it, I just turned and Trout was at the stairwell at the dugout so I just looked over and just went crazy. The whole experience was great."
Cruz's two-homer game, Webb stars
Nelson Cruz plated five runs with a two-homer game in the Tampa Bay Rays' 10-0 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles. He hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning, before adding another two with a sixth-inning homer. Mike Zunino also homered for the fifth straight game.
Emerging right-hander Logan Webb starred on the hill allowing only two runs over a career-high seven and one-third innings as the San Francisco Giants defeated the New York Mets 3-2. Pete Alonso spoiled his shut-out bid after seven scoreless innings.
Giancarlo Stanton smashed his 19th home run of the season as the New York Yankees won 2-0 over the Boston Red Sox in the second game of their double, after winning the opener 5-3.
Jose Abreu slugged a three-run homer just beyond Josh Harrison's reach and over the left-field wall in the Chicago White Sox's 9-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Sickening head injury for Bassitt
There was a major concern from the White Sox win after A's starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was hit in the face by a line drive. Blood appeared to spill from the right side of Bassitt's head, before he was taken from the field on a cart. The A's have since released a statement confirming he is conscious and on his way to hospital.
Pham's 486-foot home run
Tommy Pham hit the longest home run of the season, his 13th of the campaign, making it 4-3 in the San Diego Padres' 7-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Pham's solo shot measured a monstrous 486 feet. Fernando Tatis Jr crushed his 34th home run of the season in the same inning.
Tuesday's results
New York Yankees 5-3 Boston Red Sox
Washington Nationals 12-6 Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees 2-0 Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs 2-1 Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta Braves 2-0 Miami Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays 10-0 Baltimore Orioles
Los Angeles Angels 8-2 Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 St Louis Cardinals
Seattle Mariners 3-1 Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox 9-0 Oakland Athletics
Kansas City Royals 3-1 Houston Astros
Cleveland Indians 3-1 Minnesota Twins
Colorado Rockies 7-3 San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Philadelphia Phillies
San Francisco Giants 3-2 New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Mets at Giants
The San Francisco Giants (78-42) have a good lead atop the National League West although they will be tested by the New York Mets (59-60) in the third and final game of their series.
Simona Halep, a three-time runner up in Cincinnati, claimed her first win since May by overcoming Magda Linette 6-4 3-6 6-0.
The 12th seed has just returned from a calf muscle tear which saw her miss the French Open and Wimbledon, and was defeated by Danielle Collins in Montreal last week.
However, at 1-4 down in the second set she required medical attention for what she described as a "sharp pain" in her right leg, but after a rain delay, the Romanian came out of the blocks to claim a third-set bagel.
Halep progressed to the Round of 32 where she will play American Jessica Pegula.
Sunday's breakthrough National Bank Open winner Camila Giorgo was beaten in straight sets by Pegula 6-2 6-2.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka needed only one hour and nine minutes to dispose of Ludmilla Samsonova and seal her spot in the last 32.
The Belarussian triumphed 6-2 6-3 over the Russian, dominating her first serve and breaking Samsonova five times throughout the match.
Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Belinda Bencic eased past Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 7-5 continuing her bright recent run, winning in one hour and 27 minutes.
In the final match of the day's play, Caroline Garcia defeated 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 6-4 in two hours and 33 minutes.
Dayana Yastremska, Bernarda Pera, Karolina Muchova, Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, Veronika Kudermetova and Coco Gauff were all winners too.
Fifth seed Matteo Berrettini survived an early scare on his return from a thigh injury to progress in the second round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati over Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Tuesday.
The Italian world number eight, making his ATP Tour return since losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic in July, won 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5.
The Spaniard claimed the first set in a tie-break but Berrettini hit back, sending down 25 aces for the match, winning 84 per cent on his first serve.
"I'm happy for the win. I think I served really well," Berrettini said. "My strokes from the baseline weren't working the way I wanted them to, but I knew from the beginning it's been a long time since I played a match, especially on hard, so I expected to feel a little bit weird."
The match extended to two hours and 20 minutes, with the Italian utilizing his backhand slice in the final set to get the edge.
Berrettini, who has a 33-7 record for the season, will face 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or Karen Khachanov in the third round.
"I'm really happy that I'm going to have the chance to play another match because that's what I need," Berrettini said. "I need to play matches. I need to get in the best shape possible."
Canadian sixth seed Denis Shapovalov suffered a shock early upset, going down to France's Benoit Paire 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the Round of 64.
Former US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov toppled 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 21 minutes.
Fellow seed Cristian Garin also bowed out, losing 4-6 6-3 6-4 to qualifier Tommy Paul, while ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.
Marin Cilic, John Isner, Sebastian Korda, Gael Monfils, Reilly Opelka, Lorenzo Sonego and Frances Tiafoe were the other Tuesday winners.
Isner sent down his 13,000th career ace in his three-set win over Briton Cam Norrie.
Four-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker says he is driven to prove he is still among the league's top echelon following his trade to the New York Knicks.
The 31-year-old point guard joined the Knicks on a two-year deal after two seasons with the Boston Celtics, following his career-best year at the Charlotte Hornets in 2018-19.
Walker was an All-Star for the four seasons from 2017 to 2020, but last season battled knee injuries hampering his form and ability to establish continuity.
He only played 43 games, averaging 19.3 points [his lowest return since 2014-15], 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
New York-born Walker fronted the media for the first time since his trade to the Knicks and insisted he is highly motivated to prove his quality.
"It means everything," Walker said. "It's driving everything. Because I know what kind of player I am.
"I know what level I want to be at. It's added motivation."
Walker said it was the "perfect time" to return to his native New York and he was encouraged by the Knicks' belief in him.
The Knicks made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2013, bowing out 4-1 in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to be able to come home," Walker said.
"As far as added pressure, I don't think so. As long as I'm in a great environment around great people I'll be fine."
Veteran Patrick Beverley has been traded for the second time in two days with the Memphis Grizzlies sending the point guard to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 33-year-old played a key part in the Los Angeles Clippers' 2021 playoffs campaign, marking Devin Booker closely in their Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns.
Beverley was also ejected from Game 6 of the series following a forceful push on Chris Paul during a stoppage.
The Grizzlies had acquired Beverley from the Clippers in a trade that sent Eric Bledsoe to Los Angeles on Sunday but Memphis made another move on Tuesday.
Beverley has been traded to the Timberwolves in exchange for guard Jarrett Culver and forward Juancho Hernangomez.
Chicago-born Beverley had been with the Clippers since 2017 but lost his starting spot in the 2021 playoffs to Reggie Jackson.
Beverley averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in the 2020-21 NBA season but was more known for his defensive hustle.
Fabio Jakobsen sprinted to victory a year after he was in a medically induced coma and Rein Taaramae picked himself up following a late crash on stage four of the Vuelta a Espana to retain the red jersey.
Jakobsen suffered life-threatening injuries in a high-speed smash on the opening stage of the Tour of Poland last year but has made an incredible recovery.
The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider showed great power and speed to take the stage win in Molina de Aragon ahead of Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ), with Magnus Cort (EF Education Nippo) crossing the line in third place.
Dutchman Jakobsen left it late to dart inside Demare for a magnificent victory in an uphill finish at the end of a 163.9 kilometre route from El Burgo de Osma.
Michael Matthews had talked up his chances of winning the stage, but the Australian could not get a clear run and had to settle for fifth place behind Alberto Dainese.
Taaramae was rocked when he went down as the pace was stepped up near the end, yet he remains the race leader by a margin of 25 seconds over Kenny Elissonde as he crashed in the final 3km.
Carlos Canal, Angel Madrazo and Joan Bou spent much the stage at the front after breaking away from the start, but they were caught with 13km to go
Jakobsen said: "It's a dream come true. After the crash, I was a long way back, but I'm happy I'm here.
"A lot of time and effort has gone into this by a lot of people, and it's also their victory. I'm talking about all the doctors and surgeons and medical staff in Poland, through to my second family here with the team, and everything in between.
"It's also their victory. It's also my family's victory because they're the reason I'm here."
STAGE RESULT
1. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick) 03:43:07
2. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) same time
3. Magnus Cort (EF Education Nippo) same time
4. Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) same time
5. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 13:08:51
2. Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) +0:25
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +0:30
Points Classification
1. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) 100
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 68
3. Alex Aranburu (Astana-Premier Tech) 50
King of the Mountains
1. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 10
2. Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) 7
3. Joe Dombrowski (UAE Team Emirates) 6
What's next?
A flat 184.4km stage five from Tarancon to Albacete is likely to end with another sprint finish unless high winds are a major factor.
Joel Embiid will sign a four-year, $196million supermax extension with the Philadelphia 76ers following his near-MVP efforts in 2020-21.
Widespread reports detailed the deal on Tuesday, which rewards an outstanding season for the All-Star center.
Embiid became eligible for the extension after finishing second in the MVP voting and making the All-NBA Second Team.
But for injury, the big man might have scooped the top award, for which he was the favourite until a knee problem in March.
The 76ers were only 10-11 without Embiid, but their 39-12 record with their outstanding star on the floor was enough to finish first in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid's 28.5 points per game were a career high and ranked fourth in the NBA despite the ongoing knee issue – a torn meniscus, which he played with into the postseason – limiting the former third overall pick to 31.1 minutes.
Per 75 possessions, his 32.9 points led the league, boosted by improvement in field-goal percentage (51.3), three-point percentage (37.7) and accuracy from the foul line (85.9 per cent).
Embiid's new deal, which runs through the 2026-27 season, reportedly includes a player option for the final year, although the Sixers do not have the same protection in case of further injuries.
Embiid is yet to play more than 64 games in a regular season in the NBA, with the start to his career delayed by two years due to foot surgery.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has indicated he will only get the COVID-19 vaccine if it becomes mandatory to participate on the ATP Tour.
World number three Tsitsipas revealed he has not yet been jabbed against coronavirus with the tennis world divided on the issue.
The ATP Tour have publicly encouraged players to get vaccinated, but Novak Djokovic is among the high-profile players to have stated it should not be compulsory to compete.
When asked ahead of the Western and Southern Open if he would get the vaccine, Tsitsipas told a media conference he still had reservations.
"No one has told me anything. No one has made it a mandatory thing to be vaccinated," the Greek said.
"At some point I may have to, I'm pretty sure about it, but so far it hasn't been mandatory to compete, so I haven't done it, no."
Tsitsipas received a bye through to the second round in Cincinnati, where he will play either Sebastian Korda or Laslo Dere.
The 23-year-old, who has a tour-high 45 wins this season, climbed up to third in the world rankings last week and boldly targeted overhauling Djokovic in top spot.
"The rankings are there for a reason. They signify something important," he added.
"I think that the very next step would be the number one spot, which I hope I can get to one day.”
Kris Bryant hit two home runs and Brandon Crawford was perfect at the plate as the San Francisco Giants defeated the New York Mets 7-5 in MLB action Monday.
Bryant's two-run drive in the fifth inning gave the Mets a 4-3 lead and he helped expand it in the seventh, following Brandon Belt's solo shot by homering on the next pitch.
Crawford drove in the final San Francisco run with a triple later than inning, capping a four-for-four night.
Whle the Giants improved to an MLB-best 77-42, the Mets (59-59) dropped the fourth in a row after being swept in Los Angeles by the Dodgers over the weekend.
Cole beats Angels in return
A pair of first-inning home runs accounted for all the scoring as the New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 2-1, with Joey Gallo's two-run shot trumping Justin Upton's solo homer. The latter was the only blemish for Yankees ace Gerrit Cole as made his first start in more than weeks thanks to a stint on the COVID-19 injured list. Cole allowed just one other hit and struck out nine in 5.2 innings.
After Trent Grisham's three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning tied the game for the San Diego Padres, the Colorado Rockies walked off 6-5 winners on a homer in the bottom of the inning from C.J. Cron.
The Chicago White Sox expanded their division lead to an MLB-high 11 games with a 5-2 home win against the Oakland Athletics as Luis Robert homered and Seby Zavala drove in a pair of runs.
After a two-homer game Sunday, Max Muncy's eighth-inning solo shot gave the Los Angeles Dodgers their winning margin in a 2-1 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Freddie Freeman and Adam Duvall homered while Ozzie Albies drove in three more runs as the Atlanta Braves routed the Miami Marlins 12-2 to extend their lead in the National League East to 1.5 games.
Jorge Polanco had his second walk-off hit in as many games for Minnesota, with his 10th-inning RBI double giving the Twins a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians a day after his sacrifice fly in the ninth beat the Tampa Bay Rays. The last Twins player to produce walk-off wins in successive games was Jacque Jones in July 2005.
Sparse crowd in St. Pete
The Rays (72-47) have the best record in the American League, but the official attendance at Tropicana Field for Monday's 9-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles was the lowest in franchise history for a game not affected by coronavirus-related capacity restrictions. The loss was the 12th in a row for the Orioles, who have the worst record in the AL at 38-79.
Votto collects 2,000th hit
At age 37, Joey Votto's impressive 2021 season produced another milestone as he collected his 2,000th career hit in Cincinnati's 14-5 demoltion of the Chicago Cubs. He is the 35th player in MLB history to reach 2,000 hits and 300 home runs with one franchise, and the second Reds player to do it, joining Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.
Monday's results
New York Yankees 2-1 Los Angeles Angels
Cincinnati Reds 14-5 Chicago Cubs
Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 12-2 Miami Marlins
Kansas City Royals 7-6 Houston Astros
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox 6-2 Oakland Athletics
Colorado Rockies 6-5 San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants 7-5 New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Red Sox at Yankees
Eternal rivals the Boston Red Sox (69-51) and New York Yankees (66-52) will play a doubleheader in the Bronx as both teams chase Tampa Bay in the American League East.
Petra Kvitova was one of a handful of seeded players to take the court at the Western and Southern Open on Monday and came away victorious against a past champion of the event.
The 11th-seeded Kvitova defeated 2019 Western and Southern winner Madison Keys 7-5 6-4 on a rain-plagued opening day of main-draw play at the tournament outside Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Czech saved eight of nine break points against her serve while breaking Keys three times, and that was enough to pull out the victory.
Kvitova's countrywoman Barbora Krejcikova, the ninth seed, made her singles debut at the WTA 1000 event with a 6-3 6-2 rout of Daria Kasatkina.
Fifteenth seed Elise Mertens also was a straight-sets winner, taking down Nadia Podoroska 6-3 6-4, while 13th seed Jennifer Brady defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in a match that finished shortly before 1 a.m. local time.
Though only Krejcikova was in action Monday, the field in Cincinnati includes nine of the top 10 players in the rankings, led by Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka in their first appearances since the Tokyo Olympics.
In other matches on the first day of play, Heather Watson defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2 3-6 6-1, while Paula Badosa outlasted Petra Martic 4-6 6-4 7-6 (11-9) in a two-hour, 34-minute marathon.
Yulia Putintseva breezed past Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-0, Jelena Ostapenko beat Tamara Zidansek 7-5 6-1 and Jil Teichmann downed Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-0.
Angelique Kerber beat Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-2, with Alison Riske matching that scoreline in a defeat of Leylah Fernandez.
Shelby Rogers won 6-4 2-1 when her countrywoman Danielle Collins retired with an injury.
Andy Murray looked sharp in his first singles match since Wimbledon, rolling to a straight-sets win over Richard Gasquet at the Western and Southern Open.
Murray defeated the veteran Frenchman 6-4 6-4 on a rainy opening day in Cincinnati, capitalising on a strong service game to advance.
Murray had 14 aces to just two double faults and won 81 per cent of points on his first serve while saving four of the five break points he faced.
A two-time champion at the ATP 1000 event, he will face the winner of Tuesday's match between Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.
Two players who shared a birthday Monday also prevailed on their big day.
On the day he turned 20, 11th seed Jannik Sinner defeated Federico Delbonis 6-2 7-5, while 10th seed Diego Schwartzman had to work a bit harder on his 28th birthday to down Daneil Evans 6-2 4-6 6-3.
Elsewhere, 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (7-0) 6-3, while 14th seed Alex de Minaur rallied to down Filip Krajinovic 0-6 6-4 6-4.
Fifteenth seed David Goffin fell 6-3 6-3 to Guido Pella in the only seeded upset of the day.
Other winners Monday included Karen Khachanov, Fabio Fognini, Lloyd Harris, Dominik Koepfer, Benoit Paire, Albert Ramos Vinolas and Mackenzie McDonald.
Among those set to play their opening matches Tuesday are third seed Alexander Zverev, who will face Harris, and sixth seed Denis Shapovalov, who plays Paire.
Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a maximum-value four-year contract extension.
Smart will make $77million in the deal, which begins with the 2022-23 NBA season, according to reports by ESPN and The Athletic.
Smart posted a video of highlights from his Celtics career on his Instagram page Monday with the comment "Let's go 4 more..."
The 27-year-old has spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Celtics after they selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft.
He averaged a career-best 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game last season.
Smart is set to make $14.3m next season, the last in his existing deal.
Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears on Monday in her first WTA Tour news conference since snubbing the media at the French Open.
Osaka withdrew from the second grand slam of the year at Roland Garros almost three months ago after declaring she would not fulfil press conference duties during the tournament.
The four-time major champion cited mental health concerns for reaching that decision and skipped Wimbledon before returning to action at the Tokyo Olympics on home soil.
Osaka, who revealed in Paris she had suffered "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018, agreed to speak to the press as she prepares return to the WTA Tour at the Western and Southern in Cincinnati this week.
The world number two was emotional after being asked how she benefits from a high-media profile but does not like talking to media.
Osaka answered the question from the journalist, but the video call was paused as she cried before later resuming the press conference.
She said before pausing: "That's interesting: I would say the occasion, when to do the press conferences is what I feel is the most difficult.
"I'm actually very interested in that point of view. For me I feel this is something I can't really speak for everybody, I can only speak for myself.
"But ever since I was younger, I've had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it's because of my background as well as how I play.
"Because in the first place I'm a tennis player, which is why a lot of people are interested in me. So I would say in that regard I'm quite different to a lot of people, and I can't really help that there are some things I tweet or say that create a lot of news articles or things like that.
"But I would also say, I'm not really sure how to balance it too, I'm figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say."
Osaka then broke down while the next question was being put to her, but was able to continue.
The 23-year-old was given a first-round bye in what will be her first WTA tournament since the French Open.
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