Cincinnati Masters
US Open 2024 Women’s Day 4
Iga Swiatek bulldozed a player ranked more than 200 spots below her, with the world No. 1 subduing Japanese doubles specialist and tournament qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-0, 6-1 on Thursday at the US Open.
The Pole who won the title here in 2022, was ruthless in her demolition of the 217th-ranked Asian as she delivered a bagel-and-breadstick victory in 66 minutes.
Swiatek won the first seven games, with her opponent breaking the spell for a moment before fading away.
Swiatek, four times a champion at Roland Garros, claimed her WTA-leading 55th win of the season, a dozen more than second-best Emma Navarro.
The player who is top-seeded at a major for the 11th time ended with a mere six unforced errors as she reached her 19th straight third round at a Grand Slam.
Swiatek’s progression was smooth compared to her struggles in the opening round against a lucky loser from qualifying.
“I used yesterday to practice and get my rhythm. I was making for sure better decisions,” she said, adding:
“It’s not like I need to do that much work because I kind of have the tools, but sometimes it’s just hard to use them.
“I couldn’t really focus well in my first-round match, and I wanted to improve that.”Today the mindset was for sure a little bit better.”
Former Wimbledon winner and fourth seed Elena Rybakina pulled out of the event – her eighth at a tournament this season – for unspecified reasons.
The Kazakh is the first women’s Top 5 seed to pull out here since 2000.
Fifth seed Jasmine Paolini played just a couple of points before opponent Karolina Pliskova retired with a left foot injury, handing the Italian a trip into the third round.
Paolini, finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, had not reached the second round of any major prior to this season when the smiling player burst unexpectedly into form.
The smiling player who has made a breakthrough at age 28, detailed her approach to tennis life.
“You have to always see the glass half full – not half empty.
“I’m trying to repeat to myself that I’m in a good position and doing what I love. There’s no reason to complain or be sad.
“I think I’m lucky. That’s what I repeat to myself when there are bad days.
It’s life. Just reminding myself always that I’m lucky.”
Compatriot and doubles partner Sara Errani advanced past American Caroline Dolehide 7-5, 7-5, while 59th-ranked Ashlyn Krueger made it a home hat-trick as she defeated teenaged Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-4.
US sixth seed Jessica Pegula, who played the Cincinnati final, kept her record against fellow Americans a spotless 11-0 this season with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Sofia Kenin.
Pegula trailed a break in both sets but came alive in the second as she won five straight games from 0-2 down and advanced with her sixth ace on match point.
“I guess I get juiced up to play Americans,” she said of her record.
“I knew I had chances to break her in this match, but she’s a tough returner who gets good depth on her shots.”
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
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.
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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