Japan’s Naomi Osaka battled back to take a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Coco Gauff on Wednesday and advance into the third round of the WTA Cincinnati Masters.
Top seed Ashleigh Barty moved on as well, bouncing back from a Tokyo Olympic first-round loss to start her pre-US Open campaign with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over Britain’s Heather Watson.
Angelique Kerber defeated Elina Svitolina 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 while former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu of Canada lost to Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-2 in the second round.
Azarenka defeated Alison Riske 6-2, 7-5 while fellow former Grand Slam champions Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko both won.
Kvitova stopped Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-4 while Ostapenko advanced 6-7 (2/7), 5-4 when American Jennifer Brady retired.
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka and sixth seed Iga Swiatek were also knocked out in the second round, losing to Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur.
Murray exits
In the men’s section, Olympic champion Alexander Zverev struck Gold with his first victory at the US Open tuneup event in seven attempts.
The German celebrated success with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over South African Lloyd Harris to break his duck and now goes up against Argentine Guido Pella, a winner over Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-1, 7-5.
Top seed Daniil Medvedev, last week’s Toronto champion, also advanced in a no-drama 6-2, 6-2 defeat of American Mackenzie McDonald.
Number two seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fought off Sebastian Korda for a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory that took the Toronto semi-finalist into the third round.
Tsitsipas next plays Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego who beat American Tommy Paul 7-6 (11/9), 6-2.
Norway’s eighth-seeded Casper Ruud out-aced American Reilly Opelka 21 to 17 on his way to a 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 7-6 (7/4) victory.
Andy Murray’s wild card run ended with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 loss to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
Olympic Silver medallist Karen Khachanov joined Murray in defeat as the Russian exited 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 to Canada’s 12th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who will face Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for a quarter-final place.
Frenchman Gael Monfils earned the 500th match win of his career as he beat Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5.
American John Isner beat Italian 11th seed Jannik Sinner 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4. Former champion Grigor Dimitrov reached the third round over Kazakh Alexander Bublik 6-3, 7-5.