Defending champion Roger Federer kicked off his bid for a seventh Cincinnati Masters title with a convincing second-round victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.
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“It’s been a while since I’ve had a match”, Federer said. “I always give myself a little chance to regroup, it’s kind of the middle of the year and a long time on the road with the European trip so it’s just nice to settle into a normal life”, she said. “Now, I’m like, ‘I need another Sunday”. It has been a hard year for her since, qualifying for one semifinals, the WTA Qatar Total Open, and exiting in the first round at the WTA Istanbul Cup and Rogers Cup. Now I know what it’s about.
“After warmups, I get a feel for how the match might go or how much you can give or you can’t give”, she said. Sharapova is still bothered by an injured right leg, and Williams came down with a virus. You know, I can switch it on very quickly. The Russian was joined as a victim by Williams, who cited a viral illness.
Ivanovic, a 2014 finalist, advanced via the walk-over.
“I just wasn’t able to get out there tonight”. She wasn’t feeling her best Monday when she beat Zarina Diyas and her condition didn’t improve by the time she started warming up for Tuesday’s 8:30 p.m. match against Ana Ivanovic. “I just couldn’t be at my best today”.
Sharapova, seeded second for this event had a bye in the opening round and was to feature in a match.
Sam Querrey put out John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) and South African 15th seed Kevin Anderson defeated Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-1.
Tomic’s controversial countryman Nick Kyrgios avoided a meeting with close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis after being thrashed 6-2 6-1 by French 12th seed Richard Gasquet in the first round.
Kyrgios, building a reputation as the bad boy of the game, was unremarkable in his loss, which lasted for only 56 minutes.
Fernando Verdasco enjoyed a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while Borna Coric won the battle between two talented 18-year-olds, edging Alexander Zverev 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-5).
Bencic, 18, is brimming with confidence after winning in Toronto at the weekend after a tournament which included a stunning semi-final defeat of Grand Slam-chasing world number one Serena Williams.
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In other matches on Tuesday, 10th-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro was ousted 6-1 6-2 by American Sloane Stephens while former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus trounced American Lauren Davis, also 6-1 6-2. Bencic will next face Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, who beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 7-5 6-2 in the opening round.
