CINCINNATI: Simona Halep earned her first victory since last May’s calf injury pause as the three-time finalist defeated Magda Linette 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.

American teenager Coco Gauff lined up a contest with second seed Naomi Osaka through a 6-1, 6-2 hammering of Hsieh Su-Wei.

On a day when rain forced a reorganisation of the afternoon and evening schedule, women’s top seed Ashleigh Barty and Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev never made it onto court.

The 12th seed, a former number one, played Cincinnati finals in 2015, 2017 and 2018. She dominated her 44th-ranked opponent with 11 aces and four breaks of serve.

Gauff won her last match with four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka at the Australian Open last year. Gauff, 1-1 in the series, will play Osaka for the first time outside of a Grand Slam.

Montreal champion Camila Giorgi fell 6-2, 6-2 in her opening match to Jessica Pegula.

Hopes ended for Britain’s Johanna Konta in a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 loss to Czech Karolina Muchova.

In the men’s draw, Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini returned from a thigh injury layoff but only just managed a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

The Italian fifth seed showed rust after last playing the All England Club final against Novak Djokovic, But he prevailed after saving five break points in the final set to end it on a drop shot winner on match point.

Last week’s Toronto quarter-finalist Gael Monfils was untroubled by Serb Dusan Lajovic in a 7-6 (7-0), 6-2 win in 91 minutes as the Frenchman overcame nine double-faults.

Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the second round as he eliminated 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4. American Sebastian Korda won his 23rd match this season as he quickly brushed aside Serb Laslo Djere 6-4, 6-4 to line up against second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Weekend Toronto semi-finalist John Isner was bothered by back pain throughout but relied on his huge serve to wrap up a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 comeback over Brit Cameron Norrie.

Isner finished off with his 26th ace as Norrie lost in a first round for the second week in succession.

The 36-year-old American moved into the second round to play Italy’s 11th seed Jannick Sinner.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2021