Top seed Alexander Zverev battled into the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Monday while Serena and Venus Williams lost in their first doubles match together in four years. German star Zverev, who won Roland Garros and finished Wimbledon runner-up this year, won his ATP season-best 46th match of the campaign by defeating Terrance Atmane 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6). Zverev finished off the Frenchman, a 2025 Cincinnati semifinalist, with a sizzling backhand down the line.
We kicked off a little rust,” Serena Williams said. It’s about having fun and I did want to do the best I could.” The siblings each lost serve once in the first set and lost six of the final seven games, but dominated the second set and rallied from 8-2 down in the 10-point tie-breaker third set only to fall on a Venus double fault. This is not my usual Monday night,” said Serena, who noted the reunion is a limited-time attraction.
It’s… not long,” she said. It’s a bit different.” Men’s fifth seed Alex de Minaur battled through multiple rain interruptions to defeat Arthur Fery 7-5, 7-6 (7/3). The Australian was up a set and 5-1 after a 30-minute stoppage before Wimbledon semifinalist Fery caught fire, but he took the tie-break to advance despite 29 unforced errors.
I can’t remember a match that started and stopped so many times. I’m happy with how I found a way.” He next faces France’s Arthur Fils, who dumped Czech ninth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3. Spanish teen Rafael Jodar dominated Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 6-2, 6-1 and next faces Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli.
The Italian rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Alexander Blockx 7-5, 4-6, 7-5. Two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina shook off two one-hour rain stoppages to beat Magdalena Frech 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). Former world number one and defending champion Swiatek was done hours before the poor weather, turning the tables after losing the first set in defeating Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Pegula, a 2024 finalist, dispatched US compatriot Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-2, ending with an ace.
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