Sinner and Swiatek Dominate in Cincinnati Open Second Round
Defending champion Jannik Sinner and third seed Iga Swiatek both showcased their exceptional form in the second round of the Cincinnati Open, easily advancing to the next stage of the tournament.
Sinner, the world number one, displayed no signs of rust after a month-long break following his Wimbledon triumph. He crushed Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan with a commanding score of 6-1, 6-1, needing just 59 minutes to secure the victory. The Italian star, who enjoyed a first-round bye, made only four unforced errors during the match.
“It’s very difficult to play here; I feel like the ball is flying, it’s very fast,” Sinner remarked in a post-match interview with Tennis Channel. “When you lose confidence with a couple of shots, it makes it very, very difficult to play.” Next, he will face Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the third round.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek also impressed, rebounding from an early exit in Montreal to defeat Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-4. Swiatek’s performance was marked by her strong start in the first set and her ability to fend off four break points in the second. She is set to meet Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk next, a player she has defeated in all three of their previous encounters.
In a dramatic match, American Madison Keys had a tougher outing, saving two match points to overcome Germany’s Eva Lys with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(1). “I just kept trying to listen to everyone here cheering me,” said Keys, who clinched the match with an unreturnable forehand. She will face Japan’s Aoi Ito in the next round.
Other notable results from Saturday included Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech upsetting 11th seed Casper Ruud 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, while eighth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti fell to France’s Benjamin Bonzi in a closely contested match, ending 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4).
The Cincinnati Open continues with more exciting matchups, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka taking on Czech Marketa Vondrousova and fourth seed Taylor Fritz facing American Emilio Nava.
