Djokovic feels the heat in Cincinnati defeat, Zverev wins all-nighter
Novak Djokovic suffered from punishing heat and humidity on Saturday but made a match of it before falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Thiago Tirante in what could be the Serb's last appearance at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters. She lost 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 7-5 to Dane Clara Tauson who played through back pain but rallied from 4-1 down in the final set to win. str/bb
Novak Djokovic struggled under Cincinnati's sweltering heat and humidity, suffering a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Thiago Tirante. The 24-time Grand Slam champion's battle lasted over two and a half hours, with Djokovic taking a medical timeout due to the intense conditions. Djokovic's second-round loss could mark his final appearance at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion, had a more favorable day, defeating Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-3 in a match that concluded just after 2:15 am. Zverev, who lost in the Wimbledon final to Tirante's fellow Argentine, expressed a need to regain his confidence following his abrupt exit in Canada. In the women's draw, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines advanced to the third round, defeating Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a shortened match due to a weather delay.
Eala will next face ninth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova. Other notable results included Maja Chwalinska's straight-set win over Spain's Cristina Bucsa and Linda Noskova's victory over Britain's Katie Boulter. However, Payton Stearns fell to Clara Tauson in a closely contested match.
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