Grigor Dimitrov, the 2017 Cincinnati Masters champion, was knocked out in the first round on August 14 by Argentine Sebastian Baez with scores of 6-1, 3-6, 4-6 at the Cincinnati Masters [1, 2, 3]. Dimitrov entered the tournament on a wild card, ranked 138th, and was aiming for his first win at Cincinnati in five years [1, 3]. Baez will face American Learner Tien next, who recently reached the semifinals at the Montreal Masters the same week [1, 2, 3].
In contrast, 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas secured a straight-sets victory over France’s Valentin Royer, winning 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 [1, 2, 3]. Tsitsipas, ranked 49th amid a recent slump and a coaching split with his father, said his match strategy focused on aggressive net play and staying relaxed under pressure. "I’m trying to come to the net as much as possible. Whenever a ball is short, I try to capture it inside the baseline. That’s where I shined the most," Tsitsipas told reporters [1]. He added, "It was nerve-wracking at the end with those match points I was not able to capture. It would have been easy to get tight. I had to remind myself to stay loose and play aggressive. If I was going to miss, at least I knew I had done the right thing" [1]. Tsitsipas will face second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round [1, 2, 3].
Venus Williams lost 6-2, 6-2 to Colombian Emilia Arango in 66 minutes at Cincinnati, marking her 14th straight defeat since July last year [2]. Williams, currently ranked 615th and playing on wild cards, has struggled to break her losing streak [2].
Additionally, Sara Bejlek upset former top player Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-2 in the first round [2].
