World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and American star Coco Gauff suffered shock exits at the Cincinnati Open, while Carlos Alcaraz powered into the semifinals to continue his impressive form.
Sabalenka was stunned by Russian Daria Kasatkina, who fought back from a set down to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. The Belarusian, who came into the tournament as one of the favorites, struggled with unforced errors in the deciding set, allowing Kasatkina to advance to her first WTA 1000 semifinal of the year.
Meanwhile, defending US Open champion Coco Gauff endured a disappointing outing in front of her home crowd as she was outclassed 6-2, 6-3 by Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Gauff, who had been tipped as a strong contender for the title, failed to find her rhythm against Sakkari’s aggressive baseline play.
On the men’s side, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz delivered a commanding performance to book his spot in the semifinals. The Spaniard defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, showing off his trademark speed and shot-making brilliance.
With Sabalenka and Gauff out, the women’s draw has opened up for other contenders, while Alcaraz remains firmly on track to add another ATP Masters 1000 title to his collection ahead of the US Open.
