Svitolina wins Cincinnati opener; Anisimova withdraws

Cincinnati: Elina Svitolina advanced to the second round of the Cincinnati Open after coming from a set down to defeat Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Svitolina stormed to a 4-1 lead over Wang before play was interrupted due to an ailing spectator. When play resumed, Wang won three consecutive games to get the set back on serve, and rode that momentum to seal the 7-5 set.

She reset herself quickly in the second set. The Ukrainian veteran serve nine aces and saved six of eight break points faced, Svitolina kept Wang at bay for the remainder of the match to earn her first Cincinnati win since 2019.

She will face either No.14 seed Victoria Azarenka or lucky loser Lucia Bronzetti. The Italian moved into the main draw after Canadian Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue.

In other actions, France's Varvara Gracheva set up a second-round meeting with World No.1 Iga Swiatek after beating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5), while

Marta Kostyuk came from a break down in the third set to defeat Elise Mertens 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Kostyuk will face Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun, who defeated Linda Noskova 6-4, 7-6(4).

A day after defeating Naomi Osaka in the final round of qualifying, Ashlyn Krueger ousted Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2 to advance to Round 2.