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Iga Swiatek defeats Danielle Collins, Coco Gauff cruises past Mayar Sherif, Aryna Sabalenka wins at Cincinnati Masters
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Published 16/08/2023 at 21:40 GMT+1
Current US Open champion Iga Swiatek continued her excellent form this season as she had little challenge in defeating Danielle Collins in the round of 32 match-up on Wednesday afternoon in the Cincinnati Masters tournament in Ohio. There was also a comfortable victory for world No. 7 Coco Gauff, while Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare to progress, while Elena Rybakina beat Jelena Ostapenko.
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Video credit: SNTV
Coco Gauff made light work of Mayar Sherif after a 6-2 6-2 win in a second-round clash at the Cincinnati Masters.
Gauff received first-round bye to progress straight into round two, and took a mere 80 minutes to dispatch the Egyptian.
The world No. 7 really motored towards victory after breaking Sherif in the fourth game of the first set to move 3-1 up, before saving two breaks in the first game of the second set.
She then broke the world no. 33 twice and held our own serve in the last three games to seal a comprehensive win and safe passage into round three.
Next up is a match against Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic on Friday.
It was far less straightforward for world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who eventually beat American qualifier Ann Li 7-5 2-6 6-4.
The Belarusian was a semi-finalist last year, and brought the contest back into her control with a dominant display in the third set to win on her third match point.
Speaking afterwards, she said: "It was definitely a little bit of an advantage on her side because she played a lot of matches here.
"For me, it takes some time to adjust to the surface. I was really happy to win this match. She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough today."
Meanwhile, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina overcame Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko 6-7(6) 6-2 6-4.
Ostapenko showed incredible resilience to mount an incredible comeback in the tie-break from 5-2 down to win 7-6.
However, Rybakina recovered and took the following two sets with relative ease and set up a clash with Jasmine Paolini.
Jessica Pegula defeated Martina Trevisan 6-7(2-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach the last 16 at the Cincinnati Masters, while Iga Swiatek defeated Danielle Collins 6-1 6-0.
The world No. 1 had little trouble dismissing the American as she prepares for her attempt to retain her New York title next month.
The 22-year-old also added her third French Open title to her resume this season, and last month claimed the WTA Poland in her home city of Warsaw.
She plays Qinwen Zheng next, who recovered from losing the first set 6-1 to beat Venus Williams in a decider.
Swiatek lost in Montreal at the National Bank Open to Pegula over three sets in the semi-finals.
Pegula remains in good form ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam event, the US Open.
The 29-year-old American is currently ranked No. 3 in the world and has quarter-final finishes at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, and also reached the same stage at last year’s US Open.
Last week Pegula picked up her second WTA 1000 trophy in Montreal last week, and after her win she revealed she had been suffering from poor health in the build-up.
She said: "I'm so tired from the heat, from the last two matches, the first week on hard court outside in the heat, bad travel day. I honestly wasn't feeling very well for Monday and Tuesday. I was like, I think I'm getting sick."
She will face Elise Mertens or Marie Bouzkova in the next match, and should she win it will be only her second hard court quarter-final of the season.
"Since Wimbledon, I think I've made more of a conscious effort mentally to play more aggressively and I've just been seeing the ball, for whatever reason, pretty well," Pegula added. "Even before D.C., practising at home I felt really good.
"I think I'm past the phase of 'Oh, I hope I keep winning.
With her growing confidence and experience, Pegula said she now feels no need to "prove a point to myself or anyone else.
"I'm not going to sit there and put undue pressure on myself. Maybe it's me getting older. I don't care. Whatever happens, happens."
Daria Kasatkina also progressed, after defeating France's Vaarvara Gracheva 6-3 6-1, and Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova set up a clash with Sloane Stephens after beating Anastasia Potapova 6-4 6-2.
No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari defeated Romania's Sorana Cirstea despite losing the first set.
The Greek player won her match 2-6 6-3 7-5 to reach Thursday's round of games and will play Karolina Muchova, who also came through in three.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Paolini and Noskova, while Ons Jabeur is also into the last 16 on her first appearance since her heartbreaking Wimbledon final defeat.
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