Defending champ Coco Gauff falls to Yulia Putintseva in first round

Cincinnati, August 16

Defending champion Coco Gauff lost in her opening match at the Cincinnati Open, falling to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4 2-6 6-4.

Gauff, then 19, became the youngest Cincinnati champion last year on her way to winning the US 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 in the third round.

The women’s No. 4 seed was also 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. — AP