Defending champ Coco Gauff falls to Yulia Putintseva in first round
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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.
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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
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