World No. 1 Iga Swiatek secured a spot in the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open without stepping on court, as her third-round opponent, Marta Kostyuk, withdrew due to a right wrist injury.
The walkover marks Swiatek’s second consecutive advancement with minimal resistance, following her dominant performance in the previous round.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, seeded No. 2 and the 2023 Cincinnati champion, overcame a shaky start to defeat China’s Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2. Gauff took 71 minutes to seal the win, showing resilience and tactical maturity. “It was a rough start,” she admitted, “but it was about trusting myself and the work we’ve done in practice.”
Other notable results included third seed Jessica Pegula’s straight-set victory over Kimberly Birrell and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini’s hard-fought win against Maria Sakkari, both advancing to the next round.
The tournament continues to unfold with high-profile matchups and unexpected exits, keeping fans on edge as the race to the finals intensifies.
