Cincinnati: Former champion Alexander Zverev completed his weather-interrupted third-round victory at the Cincinnati Open, concluding the match against Brandon Nakashima by winning the final four points for a 6-4, 6-4 triumph. The match, which resumed with Zverev leading 6-4, 5-4, took less than two minutes to complete before weather once again disrupted the schedule. Zverev, the 2021 Cincinnati winner, now advances to face Toronto finalist Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, women’s third seed Iga Swiatek and men’s seventh seed Holger Rune both secured their places in the quarter-finals before the afternoon rain arrived. Swiatek, the Wimbledon champion, battled through 33 unforced errors to defeat Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 in a 95-minute match. Swiatek, who has yet to reach a final in Cincinnati, expressed satisfaction with her performance, noting the challenging humid conditions.
Rune advanced after last year’s finalist Frances Tiafoe retired with lower back pain, with Rune leading 6-4, 3-1. Rune’s victory marked his 100th career hard-court win and his first defeat of a top-20 opponent since April. Reflecting on the match, Rune mentioned he noticed Tiafoe’s discomfort and aimed to capitalize on it by moving him around the court.
In other tournament action, Magda Linette made headlines by reaching the fourth round for the first time in Cincinnati. Linette achieved a significant upset by defeating fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3. The match, which resumed with the score level at one set each, saw Linette break Pegula’s serve at a critical moment, allowing her to close out the match shortly thereafter. Linette expressed her delight in overcoming past challenges on this court.