Lower-rank players prevail in a day of upsets

TOP seed Karolina Pliskova and No.2 Sofia Kenin has crashed out of the Western & Southern Open in the US.

Veronika Kudermetova, ranked 41, toppled world No.3 Pliskova 7-5 6-4 in their second-round clash.

Alize Cornet notched her first win over a top-five player in two years when she shocked Australian Open champion Kenin 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) to reach the round of 16.

It was a stunning turn of events on a day that saw men’s fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas lead the way into the round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson.

Greece’s Tsitsipas needed just 69 minutes to subdue Anderson, pressuring the towering South African’s second serve as he broke four times.

He didn’t face a break point himself until the fifth game of the second set, when Tsitsipas fell into a 0-40 hold but won five straight points to escape the jam.

“That was a crucial game, being able to come back there and maintain the focus that I needed to be back in the match and not be a break down, that was a very good effort from me,” Tsitsipas said.

He gained the lone break of the second set when Anderson double-faulted on break point in the eighth game, and finished off the match on his second match point when Anderson sailed a return of a second serve long.

Tsitsipas was the first of the top eight men’s seeds to see action as all enjoyed firstround byes.

World No.1 and top seed Novak Djokovic was scheduled to open his campaign on Monday night against qualifier Ricardas Berankis.