Cincinnati Masters
Outsider flips the script to dethrone Pegula in Canada
Anastasija Sevastova denied the hat-trick dream of Jessica Pegula on Friday, knocking the holder out in the third round of the WTA Montreal event.
The 35-year-old Latvian outsider ranked 386 posted a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 fightback to send the third-seed home from the event she has won twice.
The winner was puzzled by her unexpected success. “Somehow, I was down 2-0 in the second set and started to play better and better. Third set, I played really good.
“Just trying to stay on the court as long as possible.”
Pegula admitted she was shut down on the day. “It was a weird match for me. I felt like I had total control, and then I just played a couple of terrible games for, like, three games.
“That kind of totally flipped the momentum of the match, and I went from being up a set in 2-0 to being down very quickly. I just didn’t feel like I maybe made her earn that at that point. I think I kind of gave that away.
“I think I was more annoyed with my performance in the middle of that second set.”
Sevastova had been plagued by knee problems and was playing only her24th WTA match in the past four years.
She last defeated a top five opponent seven years ago at the 2018 US Open, ( Sloane Stephens) and last won three matches in a row four years ago.
She will now face four-time Grand Slam champion and another comeback artist in Naomi Osaka, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Jelena Ostapenko.
Pegula said she has work to do before the upcoming Cincinnati event – where she played the 2024 final – and the Open
“I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis. At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy, which I don’t like. It really bothers me. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I don’t like having to say that,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve gone through phases in my career, a few tournaments, where I feel like that sometimes, and you have to figure out how to get out of it and not feel sorry for yourself or make excuses. I’ve got figure it out.”
ATP
Sinner claims full house with Indian Wells win
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner became the youngest man to complete the full set of hard-court victories by beating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8) 7-6 (7) in the searing heat of Indian Wells.
The 24 year old Italian, didn’t face a break point during the final nor did he drop a set on his way to claiming his first title of the year and his 25th overall.
Sinner has won both hard court Grand Slams, with victories at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and at the US Open in 2024.
In addition he has lifted all six Masters 1000 series hard court titles – adding the Indian Wells title to victories in Miami, Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris plus the season-ending ATP Finals.
Only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have achieved the same feat.
Main photo:- Jannik Sinner lifts Indian Wells Trophy – by ATPTour.com
ATP
FAA raises his “standards” to extend QF hot streak
Felix Auger-Aliassime bounced back after a slow start, with the Canadian raiding his game along with his expectations on Wednesday at the ATP Dubai event.
The top seed survived the loss of his opening serve to prevail 6-4, 6-4 over France’s Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard.
Victory marked the 10th quarter-final or higher at 11 tournament for FAA dating to Cincinnati last August.
The seed’s game is on the mend after a hiccup in the form of an Australian Open first-round loss, with FAA winning the Montpellier title and reaching this month’s Rotterdam final against Alex de Minaur.
Auger-Aliassime said that he tries to set an example to his team by way of keeping his tennis standards high.
“I’m responsible, I’m the one stepping onto the court – I’m the (support) team leader.
“I need to uphold the standards I want for my career.”
The winner who broke three times, said the ball reacted differently as he played for the first time in the afternoon.
“I couldn’t find my serve in the first few games, I needed to get some rhythm. he also made it difficult for me. I’m glad I was able to find a way back into the set.
The Canadian No. 1 improved his record against French opponents to 15-1 since the start of 2025.
ATP
The heat is on as ATP bows to weather reality
The ATP has bowed to the inevitability of weather, with a new heat rule for men’s matches due to be put into place for the start of the 2026 season.
While the WTA has long provided a pause after the second set of matches played in extreme hot weather, that’ not been the general case for the men.
Now, players will get a break when temps and humidity factors reach 30.1 C (86.18 F) or higher in the first two sets of a best-of-three-setter.
That triggers a 10-minute cooling break which can be called by either payer and which will apply to both. Competitors can use the brief pause to hydrate, change clothes, shower and receive coaching.
Should the heat exceed 32.2 C the match is called off.
.The new policy will replace the previous system where ATP tournament supervisors made the call with input from on-site medical staff.
The ATP will now fall into line with the WTA system as well as that of the four Grand Slams.
The tipping point came last season, when Jannik Sinner had to quit his third-round October match in Shanghai due to heat exhaustion in admittedly freak conditions for China in the autumn.
Novak Djokovic vomited during a match while France’s Ugo Humbert said players could “die on court” due to the torrid conditions. At the August Masters in steamy Cincinnati, Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on court, another data point which apparently led to the policy change
Main photo US Open New York 06/09/2023 Daniil Medvedev cools down
Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
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