Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini opened from the stamp at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati, but Emma Navarro stumbled in the house that her father built on Sunday, just like various other seeds.
I am sorry for her, but yes, after she had missed that first serve, I thought, “Please make the double mistake!” I have to be honest, yes. It was really a tough tiebreak. I was 6/0 and [there was] A volley over the net and I missed it in the net. And then it was 6/5, and I was praying … Jasmine Paolini
The world No. 2, 4 and 7, however, continued with relatively routine victories, but Navarro, ranked at 11, was eliminated by the German qualification Ella Seigel, 6-4 1-6 6-4.
A week ago Gauff in Montreal left the tournament with 42 double errors in 3 games to become the leader of the Tour in Double with 293, and when she coughed 3 in one game in a single game on Sunday, there was tangible breathing in breathing around midfield.
In the end, the 2nd-placed American, however, received a grip and Wang Xinyu from China, 6-3 6-2, in 70 minutes, with 8 double errors in her first 3 service games, but scored the rest of the road.
The two had split competitions, both on grass in Berlin, in 2022 and 2025, and Gauff would always be the firmer for hard courts, who became the youngest who had become the Cincinnati title 2 years ago when she won the US Open.
There was a series of 5 consecutive services in the first set, but Gauff made 3 of them, and she turned out to be more stable in the second, scored 2 breaks because Wang did not even earn any chance.
While the US Open Champion 2023 had blown up breaks twice in the first set, she did well to stay calm and managed to get another one in the 6th game for a 4-2 lead before she served for the opener in the 9th game.
After winning the first set, Gauff stabilized on her serve and was not standing in front of a single breaking point in the second set, while he still claimed 2 breaks to complete her straight-set victory.
“It feels great to be back in Cincinnati,” Gauff then said on the field. “It is clear that I won two years ago, and it set me a great two weeks in New York [winning the US Open]So it means a lot to me, this tournament.
“I was very happy to see the sites and the improvements, and we are here in Cincy.”
Asked then how she conquered her early serving struggles, Gauff continued: ‘I think [I was] Just trust myself and trust the work that we have put into practice. In the second set I was able to let go, and I think I just can’t concentrate on the past, knowing that I can’t control it and just try to do better for the future. I’m glad I could change that mentality. “
On Tuesday, Gauff, who has now won her 6th opening match in 8 WTA 1000s this year, will meet Dayana Yastremska, the no. 32 seed, after the Ukrainian was a 6-4 2-6 6-2 winner over the Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova.
Jessica Pegula was one of the 5 Americans who reached the 3rd round in Cincy and beat Kimberly Birrell on Straight Sets
© Matthew Stockman/Getty images
The No 2 seed is one of the 8 Americans in the Pif WTA Rankings Top 50 and the 5th to continue to the 3rd round.
On Saturday, no. 5 Amanda Anisimova, no. 6 Madison Keys and Wild-Card Taylor Townsend were coming through, while Gauff was accompanied on Sunday by another 21-year-old, Ashlyn Krueger, who was a 6-4 0-6 6-3 winner over Anastasija Sevastova from Laté.
Later on day 4, 4th placed Pegula, the defensive finalist, joined her former double partner with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Kimberly Birrell in Australia.
The American blew an early 4-1 lead, but just as Gauff had done, Pegula did not panic when she served the 9th game for a 5-4 lead before she broke the Australian in the next game to take the opener.
In the second, Pegula earned the only break in the 4th game and then held her serve for the rest of the game to do the job in two sets in 76 minutes.
The following for Pegula is No 31 Magda Linette from Poland, who defeated Slovakia Rebecca Sramkova, 7-6 (4) 6-0.
Only Aryna Sabalenka, with 47, and Iga Swiatek, at 44, have won more matches this year at WTA level than Pegula’s 37.
Jasmine Paolini had her hands full against Maria Sakkari, but had the upper hand in 2 tight tiebreak sets to continue to round 3 in the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
© Dylan Buell/Getty images
Jasmine Paolini, the Italian 7th seed, advanced in 2 fluctuating sets, 7-6 (2) 7-6 (5), above Greek Maria Sakkari.
The last meeting of Paolini with Sakkari was a bruising 6-2 6-1 loss in the Madrid 3rd round in April in which the outcome rarely seemed to be questioned, but this Rematch was precisely the opposite, full of momentum shifts and oscillating fortunes that could have tip-tip.
The diminutive Italian accelerated to a 5-1 lead in the first set, only for Sakkari to save 4 set points, with one clean forehand winner and 3 non-referee, while she moaned back to force a tiebreak, in which Paolini dominated the Greek, which repeatedly sent the ball for a long time.
The second also reached a breaker, with neither players broken in the set, but again Sakkari once fell into the mistakes.
Toen Paolini op 6/0 stond met 6 wedstrijdpunten, leverde ze een volley op in de open hof, en Sakkari brulde terug om de eerste 5 te redden, voordat, met nog één te gaan, de Griekse dubbel gefailleerd voor de tweede keer in de tiebreak, nalatig om op 6/6 te nivelleren op 6/6 op 6/6, op 6/6 naleven op 6/6, op 6/6 nivelleerde op 6/6, op 6/6 leveled on 6/6, on 6/6 leveled on 6/6, on 6/6 leveled on 6/6, on 6/6 leveled on 6/6 and the 7th seed to 2 hours and 13 minutes and 13 minutes and 13 minutes and 13 minutes.
It was a frustrating end of the match for Sakkari, which made her 4th double mistakes of the day to falter, and the couple of the couple is now on 2 wins per piece, where Paolini both won from their hard meetings, and the Greek Triumping twice on clay.
“I’m sorry for her, but yes, after she missed that first serve, I thought,” Please make the double mistake! ” I have to be honest, yes, “Paolini admitted.” It was really a tough tiebreak. I was 6/0 [there was] A volley over the net and I missed it in the net. And then it was 6/5, and I was praying … “
The best -ranking Italian is still looking for consistency in the midst of one up and down season.
Last year last year she was on a dream run, reached back-to-back Grand Slam final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, climb to World No 4 and won Olympic gold in women’s doubles with Sara Errani in Paris.
This year she flew more under the radar and recorded her 2nd WTA 1000 title on the home floor in Rome, but has trouble building Momentum at other major events.
“I think I played a good season,” Paolini told reporters after the game. “Not like last year, last year was perhaps more consistent every week. This year there are more ups and downs.
“But still, I think my level is there, I just have to find the consistency in every tournament … To be focused in every tournament, to take some rest if I need it, to practice when I need it, and to step on the court – I think that’s the key.”
Paolini will then be confronted with another American, Ashlyn Krugeer, the no. 26 Seed, who also came through a regional fight against Sevastova.
Emma Navarro disappointed her home fans when she collapsed in 3 sets at the 20-year qualifying match Ella Seidel on Sunday
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In the meantime, Navarro led a exodus of seeds, in which the No. 8 in 3 sets fell to 20-year-old, Seidel, ranked 125, after a 10-hour battle of 2 hours.
Seidel competes in her first WTA 1000 tournament and has been demanded by the qualifying rounds to book her place in the main table for the Tune-Up Tournament for the US Open and continues to leave her mark.
Navarro is the heir of its billionaire father, Ben Navarro, who has invested more than $ 300 million in this tournament through his private investment firm, Beemok Capital, who bought the event in October 2022.
They also open the Charleston and have made considerable upgrades to the Cincy location, and are facilities for players and spectators.
In the first set, Seidel, the German No. 4, Braked Navarro on her first occasion and went up 5-4 before they save different breaking points against her to take the set 6-4.
However, Navarro responded in the second and claimed the first 5 consecutive games to take the set comfortably, and with all the momentum that went in the decisive set, it seemed that the local favorite would be the victory when she led 4-1, 30-15 before they capitated, lost 5 games in a row.
The victory marks the first victory of Seidel against a Top 20 player, and a huge blow to Navarro, who has suffered an early elimination, struggling to find shape after returning to hard courts prior to the US Open, where she arrives with only 1 victory under her belt and 3 defeats.
Seidel will then be confronted with McCartney Kessler, the no. 29 Seed, who saw fellow American Caty McNally, 6-4 6-3.
Elsewhere, Russian Veronika Kudermetova upset by Belinda Bencic, the Swiss 17th Seed, 6-4 7-6 (0), her 5th Top 20 victory of 2025.
The World No 36 had to come down from 1-3 in the first set, win 5 of the next 6 games and then hold a late Bencic charging of 5-3 in the second set.
Just like Sakkari, Bencic played her best tennis with her back to the wall to force a tiebreak, but, once there, delivered flat, with error -treated tennis.
Kudermetova will then be confronted with the semi-finalist of Montreal, Clara Tauson, after the Danish 16th sperm defeated Ajla Tomljanovic in Australia, 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4, in 2 hours and 23 minutes.
Barbora Krejcikova came from a set to make the 10th seed Elina Svitolina Van Streek, and the next 17-year-old American IVA Jovic, a happy loser.
© Dylan Buell/Getty images
On other day 4 results, Karolina Muchova, the 11th seed from the Czech Republic and a former finalist in Cincy, former champion Caroline Garcia, 7-6 (3) was 7-6 (0), which closed the Cincinnati career of the Franswoman near the Cincinnati.
Muchova continues to meet another French woman, Varvara Gracheva, a qualification, which makes Sofia Kenin, the American 24th seed, 6-7 (7) 6-3 6-3 upset.
Another Czech, 2-way Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is still coming back from injury, came from a set to the 10th seed Elina Svitolina from Ukraine, 2-6 6-4 6-3, and the next one will meet the 17-year-old American IVA Jovic.
The teenage lucky loser surprised Linda Noskova and won the last 7 games in a 6-3 6-0 upset of the Czech 20th seed to reach the 3rd round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time.
In the meantime, 3rd Seed Iga Swiatek and no. 23 Jelena Ostapenko have both noticed via Walkovers.
Swiatek had seen Marta Kostyuk, the No. 25 Seed, in the 3rd round action on Monday, but the Ukrainian was forced to withdraw because of a legal polish, while Ostapenko was planned to view Camila Osorio in Sunday’s 2nd round action, but an abdominal injury of the Colombians in court.
Ostapenko will come across the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, who upset Daria Kasatkina, the Australian 15th seed, 6-3 1-6 6-4, in round 3, while Swiatek Sorana Cirstea or Lucky Loser Yuan Yue will play in the 4th round.
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