NADAL BEATS GASQUET, ZVEREV OUSTED BY USA TEENAGER TIAFOE
CINCINNATI: Rafael Nadal cruised to victory in his first match since clinching a return to world number one while Alexander Zverev’s 10-match win streak was halted Wednesday at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters.
Nadal, a 15-time Grand Slam champion who captured his 10th French Open crown in June, defeated Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4, improving to 15-0 in ATP matches against the Frenchman.
Zverev, coming off titles in Montreal and Washington and seeking his sixth of the year, admitted exhaustion was a factor in his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to US teen wildcard Frances Tiafoe, saying the toll of his extraordinary run caught up with him.
VENUS, KERBER OUSTED
On the women’s side, top-ranked Czech defending champion Karolina Pliskova defeated Russian lucky loser Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 6-3, dropping Dane Caroline Wozniacki from the list of rivals who can overtake her for world number one this week. Simona Halep and Ukraine’s fourth-ranked Elina Svitolina -who beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-4 -could still swipe the top spot for the first time in their careers. Angelique Kerber lost her chance to reclaim it by losing to Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11).
SANIA ADVANCES, RAMKUMAR, PAES OUT
India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan bowed out of the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday after losing a tight Round of 32 clash to USA’s Jared Donaldson. Sania Mirza and her partner Peng Shuai showcased a splendid performance as they booked their place in the quarter-finals of 2017 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati following a straight-set win.