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Cincinnati Masters

Gauff reaches Saudi semi-finals as Pegula sent home

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Coco Gauff humbled Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-4 as the Pole committed nearly 50 unforced errors in a group loss on Tuesday at the WTA Finals.

The beatdown in Riyadh in front of what have been paltry crowds of less than 500 as the Saudis muscle their way into tennis puts the American into the final four.

In another match on day 3 of the year-ender, US Open finalist Jessica Pegula was eliminated as she took a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova.

Gauff remained an undefeated 2-0 in group play with only two wins from 13 meetings with former No. 1 Swiatek.

The American last beat the Polish powerhouse at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters and at age 20 is the youngest to reach back-to-back semifinals at the WTA Finals since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009-2010. 

Gauff ended with 10 winners and 33 unforced errors.

ATP

Sinner knee not right – pulls from Beijing

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Jannik Sinner on Friday announced another injury setback, with the world No. 1 withdrawing from the September start of the China Open in Beijing.

The Italian who has not played since defending his Wimbledon title in July, has been on the injury list ever since, missing the Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati and skipping the US Open. 

Sinner won the Beijing event a year ago and could  now be in doubt for the Shanghai Masters next month.

“Hello everyone, Jannik here,” Sinner posted on social media.

“I want to send the warmest greetings to the Chinese fans. I’m very sorry to announce that I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year.

“My knee is not there, where I would like [it] to be, and I am not ready to compete yet. But I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can.

“What I miss the most is, of course, the tournament, the fans, and the atmosphere. I’ve had a great, great time in the past, winning the title also last year, and I’m very disappointed that I cannot defend it this year, but I’m very happy to come back next year. 

“So I wish everyone a very good tournament and I’ll see you all very soon on court again.”

This season has been a roller coaster for the 24-year-old who won five Masters 1000 titles in a row in 2026: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.

Main Photo:- Jannik Sinner won Beijing trophy in 2023. – by ISF Ltd

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ATP

Injury magnet Draper to shut down his season

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Jack Draper has bowed to his ugly injury reality,  announcing on Tuesday that he will end his disastrous 2026 season and aim to return for 2027.

The former British No. 1 who once touched fourth on the ATP, now stands a distant 155th and has not played a match since losing in the Cincinnati first round in August.

The 24-year-old has had no luck this season, with arm bone bruising causing constant problems and keeping him from the circuit. He managed only 15 matches this season and did not play in a single one of the four Grand Slams.

Draper spelled out his frustration in an Insta post:-

“Don’t usually love lots of words on here but I wanted to update you that I am aiming to return to the tour at the start of 2027. Last summer all the dedication and work I had put into this sport was coming together.

“It was all going my way and the path seemed so clear. However a complicated injury made things incredibly challenging and since that moment I’ve been desperately trying to get back and feel as I once did on the court. 

“Managing so much change, adversity and pain has helped me to grow massively in many areas of my life but has also made me feel a level of fatigue.

“I am taking this time to reset and heal so when I return I am 100% ready to go. Tennis is my purpose and passion and so when I step back on court I want to make sure that there’s nothing holding me back from where I want to go. 

“I really appreciate all the continued support from my sponsors and people who enjoy following my tennis and I look forward to being back on court to give it my all next year!”

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Cincinnati Masters

Rybakina outduels tetchy Sabalenka to win US Open

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Elena Rybakina validated her impending move to world No. 1 as she dethroned Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, knocking out the two-time defending champion in a two and a half hour coronation performance to win the US Open on Saturday.

The Kazakh who will move into the top WTA spot in Monday’s rankings, took flight in the third set, breaking Sabalenka twice and losing just three points on serve. She finished the win with an ace after double-faulting on her first match point seconds earlier.

Rybakina had been somewhat doubtful prior to the Open after retiring with an ankle last month in a Cincinnati quarter-final.

She sent over a dozen aces and broke a patchy Sabalenka three times to win her second Grand Slam title of the season after the Australian Open in January.

“I’ve been here the past 10 years and I’ve never been close to being this successful,” Rybakina said. “This is just incredible, it will be an amazing memory.”

The winner added: “It’s tough to find the words right now. I did not expect anything like this.

Elena Rybakina celebrates as she wins US Open – byWTATennis.com

“I was dealing with injury but everything lined up on my side; this doesn’t feel real.”

The winner called her runner-up “a great champion.”

“It is so difficult to play you, I was dying out there on court trying to get to every possible ball.”

Sabalenka came to the final holding a 10-7 lead in their career series. The match was a repeat of the Melbourne final nine months ago, where Rybakina also beat Sabalenka in three sets.

Sabalenka came to tears on the post-match podium, bitterly disappointed with her failure to complete a New York title hat-trick.

“The last thing I want to be doing right now is making a speech,” she said. “But I’ll try my best.

“I’m disappointed but congrats to Elena on an incredible year. I wish I could have performed better – but I guess next year.”

Sabalenka got away to an inauspicious start, forced to save three break points in the third game as Rybakina took early control of the final, delivering back-to-back aces for 4-all

With Sabalenka repeatedly forced to save break points, the two-time defending champion was finally broken to trail 2-3, receiving a warning for racquet abuse – an angry toss – after double-faulting away the fifth game.

Rybakina then delivered a love game, going on to to claim the early lead 6-4 on a second set point after 44 minutes as Sabalenka put a return long.

The top seed reigned in her emotions and nerves a bit in the second set, with good results as she spent nearly an hour and three set points to level the final at a set each.

Sabalenka salvaged two break points in the third game and held to love in the seventh and ninth games before missing on two set points as Rybakina moved to 5-all.

Sabalenka finally came good on her third chance, seizing the set and breaking her opponent with a backhand winner down the line, 7-5.

Main photo:- Elena Rybakina celebrates as she wins Women’s Singles title – by WTATennis.com

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