Defending champion Coco Gauff falls to Putintseva in first match at Cincinnati Open

Coco Gauff signs autographs for fans after her practice session at Cincinnati Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Coco Gauff signs autographs for fans after her practice session at Cincinnati Open tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

MASON — Defending champion Coco Gauff lost Thursday in her opening match at the Cincinnati Open, falling to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, at the Lidner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Gauff, then 19, became the youngest Cincinnati champion last year on her way to winning the U.S. Open a few weeks later. This time, after a bye in the first round, the No. 2 seed blew a 4-2 lead in the third set and lost to Putintseva for the first time in four career meetings.

Putintseva, who beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, will face Spain’s Paula Badosa on Friday in the third round.

The women’s No. 4 seed also was eliminated, with Elena Rybakina falling to Leylah Fernandez 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka won her opening match, beating Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4.

Taylor Townsend kept up her strong summer by beating No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 and will face either fellow American Jessica Pegula, the No. 6 seed, or Karolina Muchova.

In men’s action, No. 12 seed Ben Shelton outlasted Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (9-7), 6-3. American Brandon Nakashima beat France’s Arthur Fils 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) to set up a meeting with No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev.

No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz won the first set in his match against Gael Monfils on Thursday night before play was suspended by rain with the players in a second-set tiebreaker.

Fifth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz also reached the round of 16, but No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov and No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas were both ousted. Dimitrov fell to Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; while Britain’s Jack Draper beat Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

About the Author