Zverev, Rybakina, Swiatek advance at Cincinnati while Williams sisters, Eala fall
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Alexander Zverev (above) won his ATP season-best 46th match of the campaign by defeating Terrance Atmane.
PHOTO: AFP
- Alexander Zverev advanced to the fourth round at the Cincinnati Masters with a tough win over Terrance Atmane, marking his 46th ATP victory this season.
- Serena and Venus Williams reunited for doubles after four years but lost their first match, focusing on enjoying the experience rather than winning.
- Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Jessica Pegula progressed despite weather delays, while rising star Alexandra Eala was defeated by Amanda Anisimova in a close match.
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CINCINNATI – Top seed Alexander Zverev battled into the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Aug 18 while Serena and Venus Williams lost in their first doubles match together in four years.
German star Zverev, who won Roland Garros and finished as Wimbledon runner-up in 2026, won his ATP season-best 46th match of the campaign by defeating Terrance Atmane 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6).
Zverev finished off the Frenchman, a 2025 Cincinnati semi-finalist, with a sizzling backhand down the line.
“He was playing incredibly aggressively, hitting forehands all over the court,” said Zverev. “He made it difficult for you to play aggressive yourself.”
The Williams sisters, with 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals together, were side by side for the first time since the 2022 US Open but lost to American Payton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 1-6, 10-8.
“It was fun and special. We kicked off a little rust,” Serena Williams said. “I didn’t come here to win this tournament. It’s about having fun and I did want to do the best I could.”
The siblings each lost serve once in the first set and lost six of the final seven games, but dominated the second set and rallied from 8-2 down in the 10-point tie-breaker third set only to fall on a Venus double fault.
“It was weird to be in a full stadium. This is not my usual Monday night,” said Serena, who noted the reunion is a limited-time attraction.
“This is not forever. It’s... not long,” she said. “We don’t have to play every week. It’s a bit different.”
Serena (left) and Venus Williams were side by side for the first time since the 2022 US Open.
PHOTO: AFP
Men’s fifth seed Alex de Minaur battled through multiple rain interruptions to defeat Arthur Fery 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
The Australian was up a set and 5-1 after a 30-minute stoppage before Wimbledon semi-finalist Fery caught fire, but he took the tie-break to advance despite 29 unforced errors.
“You never want to go into a rain delay leading 5-1,” he said. “It was a tough day with all the interruptions. I can’t remember a match that started and stopped so many times. I’m happy with how I found a way.”
He next faces France’s Arthur Fils, who dumped Czech ninth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3.
Spanish teen Rafael Jodar dominated Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 6-2, 6-1 and next faces Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli.
The Italian rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Alexander Blockx 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
“A Masters 1000 is something I dreamed of as a kid,” 12th-seeded Jodar said. “I’m grateful for the position I’m in now.”
Argentine Thiago Tirante, who ousted Novak Djokovic in the second round, defeated Spain’s Martin Landaluce 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4).
‘A crazy day’
Women’s second seed Elena Rybakina also shook off two one-hour rain stoppages to beat Magdalena Frech 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Elena Rybakina admitted she struggled to close out a match which dragged on for much of the afternoon.
PHOTO: AFP
The second-seeded Kazakh admitted she struggled to close out a match that dragged on for much of the afternoon.
“It was a crazy day, to be honest, coming out every time into clouds and humidity,” Rybakina said. “I was on top of the ball in the tie-break but it was a difficult one.
“I had the opportunities on the three match points but when you are tired it’s difficult to keep concentration.”
There were also wins for defending champion Iga Swiatek and American world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.
Swiatek, who won in Toronto last week, was done hours before the poor weather, turning the tables after losing the first set in defeating Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Iga Swiatek celebrates after defeating Maria Sakkari at Cincinnati.
PHOTO: AFP
“It’s hard to analyse this match,” Swiatek said. “I was playing good in the first set but I lacked precision, I was playing too much to her.
“After that I wanted to push her and not give so many opportunities. I’m happy it started working in the second set; I played a bit better.
“She made mistakes and the momentum changed a little bit.”
Pegula, a 2024 finalist, dispatched compatriot Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-2, ending with an ace.
Rising star Alexandra Eala lost to ninth seed Amanda Anisimova, who recovered after losing a 65-minute opening set for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
The opener featured a 20-minute fifth game, with Eala, 21, coming back from a break down before Anisimova battled back. AFP
