Andreescu eliminated, Auger-Aliassime advances at Western & Southern Open
The Canadian Press | Posted: August 18, 2021 6:02 AM | Last Updated: August 19, 2021
Denis Shapovalov ousted in stiff battle with France's Benoit Paire
Bianca Andreescu fell in the second round of the Western & Southern Open women's draw, while fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the third round of men's singles competition on Wednesday.
After receiving a first-round bye, seventh-seed Andreescu fell 6-4, 6-2 to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
Muchova, ranked No. 23 in the world, dropped serve to open the match but was broken only one other time when she already had the second set well in hand.
Muchova has five wins over top-10 players in the WTA Tour, and four of them have come this year.
WATCH l Mississauga's Bianca Andreescu dropped in 2nd round of Cincinnati Masters:
Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion who is defending over half of her ranking points total this month, fell to 4-6 since returning to action after missing much of the clay-court season due to a COVID-19 infection.
Montreal's Auger-Aliassime, seeded 12th in Cincinnati, moved on with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win over Russia's Karen Khachanov.
Auger-Aliassime had his serve working for him Wednesday. He fired 14 aces in the match and won 90 per cent of first-serve points.
WATCH l Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime rallies to beat Karen Khachanov in Cincinnati:
The Canadian held serve throughout the match and saved the only break point he faced. He had 13 break-point chances against Khachanov, converting three.
Next up for Auger-Auger-Aliassime is a match with fifth-seed Matteo Berrettini. The Italian has won both of his previous meetings with Auger-Aliassime, including a quarterfinal match at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Shapovalov ousted in stiff battle with France's Benoit Paire
Canada's Denis Shapovalov is out at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati after dropping a stiff battle to Benoit Paire of France.
Paire won 5-of-11 break points and 73 per cent of his first serve points to take a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory early on Wednesday morning.
Shapovalov struggled with his serve at times in the two-hour, 12-minute second-round match, registering nine double faults, including six in the third set alone.
The 22-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., came into the tournament as the No. 6 seed.
WATCH | Richmond Hill, Ont., native Shapovalov upset by France's Benoit Paire:
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 12 seed, is set to face Russia's Karen Khachanov in the round of 32 later on Wednesday, while the No. 7-seed Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., will take on Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in women's singles action.
Paire will face either No. 11 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy or American qualifier John Isner in the round of 16.
Frustrations
Shapovalov, the world No. 10, and Paire traded break points repeatedly in the third set of Wednesday's match, with the Frenchman showing frustration at times.
Shapovalov broke him early to take a 1-0 lead and Paire responded by sending a ball into the stands. He was given a warning by the chair umpire and then a point penalty minutes later when he shouted an obscenity in French.
The 32-year-old Frenchman, ranked 50th in the world, evened the third set at 2-2 as Shapovalov struggled with his first serve.
The Canadian went up with a beautiful play at the net, breaking Paire for a second time, but was broken right back in the next game.
Paire called for a medical timeout midway through the second set. A doctor came to see him on the side of the court and the tennis player appeared to take some pills before returning to the match.
Shapovalov broke Paire early in the second set, too, taking a 1-0 lead when sent a return long.
It was Paire who broke Shapovalov in the first set after the Canadian double faulted.
Minutes later, Shapovalov slammed his racket to the ground after committing another unforced error.
Shapovalov came to Cincinnati following a disappointing performance at the National Bank Open in Toronto where he was ousted from the second round by American qualifier Frances Tiafoe.
WATCH l Angelique Kerber upsets No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina in Cincinnati: