LOS ANGELES: Simona Halep won her first victory since her calf injury and then stopped when the finalist three times beat Magda Linette 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday at ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
American Teenager Coco Gauff marched in the contest with the second seed Naomi Osaka through a hammer of 6-1, 6-2 from Hsieh Su-Wei.
On the day when it rained forced reorganizing the afternoon and evening schedule, the seeds of Ashleigh Barty and the Olympic gold medal Alexander Zverev had never made it to the court.
Halep was only returned to the tour last week in Montreal, lost in the opening round.
He remained confident that progress was not far after his injury in Rome three months ago.
Romania beat Poland’s opponents for the second time, taking more than two hours.
“It’s a strong match.
In my opinion, we both played very well,” said the 29-year-old player.
“Maybe the delay in rain helped me a little find energy.
I was a little stronger physically and mentally in the third set.” That means very much, I am very happy to win.
It’s always important to have a victory when you return from injury.
“This is the first time in my life that I have a problem like this, and I don’t really know how to set it up.
But I’m happy to be back, happy to play with pain.
I’m just trying to build my confidence back.” Seeds to -12, former number one, playing the Cincinnati final in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
He dominated the 44th ranks with 11 ACE and four breaks.
Gauff won his last match with the Four-Time Grand Slam Champion Osaka at the Australian Open last year.
Gauff, 1-1 in the series, will play Osaka for the first time outside the Grand Slam.
“I have learned (from their past matches) to just focus on me and not on other people’s expectations,” he said about a high meeting with former number one.
Montreal Champion Camila Giorgi fell 6-2, 6-2 the opening match with Jessica Pegula in running the Easter semi-final on Saturday in Canada.
Hope ends for Johanna Konta England in 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 lost for Czech Karolina Muchova.
CONTA is now lost in Cincinnati for the first time in three of its last four appearances in the tournament, reaching the semi-final in 2020 when the event was staged in New York under the tight Covid-19 protocol.
In the men’s lottery, Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini returned from thigh injury but only managed 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5 Spanish defeat Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Italian fifth seeds showed rust after the last playing the All England Club against Novak Djokovic, but he won after saving five break points in the final set to end it to the winner of the match at the point of view.
“I know it will be difficult, but I’m really happy – just a lot with a mindset with tennis,” said Bertettini.
Last week Toronto Quarter-finalist Gael Monfils was not disturbed by Sery Dusan Lajovic in 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 won in 91 minutes when the Frenchmen tackled nine double errors.
Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the second round as he eliminated the 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4.
American Sebastian Korta won the 23rd match of the season when he quickly got rid of Serbia Laslo Djere 6-4, 6-4 to march against Stefanos Tsitipas’s second seed.
Toronto semi-finalist weekend John Isner was disturbed by back pain but relied on his large service to complete 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 comeback over Brit Cameron Norrie.
Isner was finished with the 26th ACE as Norrie lost in the first round for the second week in a row.
36-year-old Americans moved to the second round to play the seeds of Jannick Sinner Italy.