Cincinnati | Preview – High quality discipline in Cincy as Osaka places herself via qualifying

The lead-up to the US Open continues on the Cincinnati Open, the WTA 1000 in Ohio, the place 7 of the Prime 10 gamers within the PIF WTA Rankings will probably be in motion from Tuesday onwards.

I, sadly, have at all times suffered from, like, perfectionism, and I doubt myself quite a bit, however I believe going via this course of and having actually powerful losses that I’ve discovered quite a bit about myself, and I discovered that I actually love this recreation, and am keen to do no matter it takes to get to the place I really feel like I need to be. Naomi Osaka

After skipping the occasion in Toronto, high seed Iga Swiatek, No 4 Elena Rybakina, No 5 Jasmine Paolini and No 7 Zheng Qinwen debut within the hard-court summer time among the many event’s Prime 8 seeds, joined by defending champion Coco Gauff at No2, Aryna Sabalenka, No 3, Jessica Pegula, No 6, and Jelena Ostapenko, No 8, all of whom obtain a 1st-round bye within the 64-player draw.

Within the projected semi-finals, Sabalenka has landed within the high half of the draw with Swiatek, whereas Rybakina is perched within the backside half with Gauff.

Swiatek’s marketing campaign will start in opposition to both Ajla Tomljanovic or a qualifier, whereas one other qualifier or Yulia Putintseva will probably be Gauff’s first opponent in her title defence.

Within the Third-round she is projected to face one among fifteenth seed Marta Kostyuk, Elise Mertens, or Linda Noskova, who beat her in Melbourne, whereas Swiatek is projected to face Fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini within the Final 8, in what can be a rematch of the French Open remaining from June.

It’s a powerful draw for the 23-year-old Pole, who will probably be in search of a title run this yr to seal her first event win since Roland Garros.

Paolini, too, has a difficult mini-section to navigate earlier than reaching the Final 4, probably going through one among eleventh seed Emma Navarro or Mirra Andreeva in spherical 3.

In her first match because the Olympic champion, Zheng, who beat Swiatek within the semi-finals earlier than a routine win over Donna Vekic earned her the Gold medal, will play both Mubadala Citi DC Open finalist Marie Bouzkova or a qualifier, with a doable Third-round match in opposition to any of a embellished quartet of gamers within the draw’s backside half.

Additionally on this high half of the draw is Third seed Aryna Sabalenka, who will probably be hoping for a robust response after a Toronto quarter-final exit on Saturday.

The World No 3 fell to Amanda Anisimova in Toronto, and the American may once more show a stumbling block for Sabalenka, being a possible spherical 3 opponent for the Belarusian.

Sabalenka seems set to begin her marketing campaign in spherical two in opposition to Elisabetta Cocciaretto, earlier than a possible spherical 3 in opposition to Anisimova, 14th seed Victoria Azarenka, or Elina Svitolina.

Her projected quarter-final opponent is eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who may face Bianca Andreescu in spherical 2.

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The underside half of the draw is headlined by Gauff, the defending champion, who will probably be trying to reverse her latest droop in kind with a profitable title defence.

On paper, the American is ready for a quarter-final showdown in opposition to Olympic champion and seventh seed Zheng, in what can be a massively intriguing contest.

Gauff is projected to face thirteenth seed Anna Kalinskaya in spherical 3, whereas Zheng is drawn to face twelfth seed Ons Jabeur at this stage.

The American’s projected semi-final opponent is 4th seed Elena Rybakina, who has not been handed a simple draw on her return, with Leylah Fernandez her doubtless opponent in spherical 2.

Rybakina may additionally face in-form Diana Shnaider or Olympic Silver medallist Donna Vekic in spherical 3, earlier than a possible quarter-final in opposition to sixth seed Jessica Pegula.

Presently in Toronto motion, Pegula faces an intriguing opening in opposition to Karolina Muchova or Dayana Yastremska.

In Zheng’s part, Jabeur opens in opposition to 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, whereas wild-card Caroline Wozniacki faces Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina for the Third time this yr.

Kalinina gained each their earlier matches – a 3-setter in Miami, the place she saved a match level, and a straight-sets affair in Charleston.

In the identical half, Rybakina will face both 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez or China’s Zhang Shuai in her first match since Wimbledon.

The Kazakh withdrew from each the Olympics and Toronto with bronchitis.

Aryna Sabalenka will hope to settle into a very good run in Cincy after a few false begins

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On the opposite aspect, two-time Cincinnati champion and No 14 seed Victoria Azarenka might be a Third-round opponent for Sabalenka, the having pair simply performed within the quarter-finals in Washington, DC.

In different notable 1st-round motion, No 11 seed Emma Navarro, who made it into her first WTA 1000 semi-final in Toronto, will face Roland Garros semi-finalist Mirra Andreeva, with the winner to play both 2016 champion Karolina Pliskova or Viktoriya Tomova.

Vekic, the No 16 seed, will face former Prime 10 participant Beatriz Haddad Maia, whereas 2023 Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova and 2024 Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska will play for the appropriate to face Pegula within the backside half.

Major-draw motion on the Lindner Household Tennis Middle begins on Tuesday, however qualifying started on Sunday, seeing former World No 1 Naomi Osaka successful her 1st-round at this degree for the primary time since 2018 in opposition to Anna Blinkova, 6-2 2-6 6-2.

Former World No 1 Naomi Osaka dedicated herself into making an attempt to qualify for the Cincinnati Open as a result of she didn’t obtain a wild-card into the principle draw

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Osaka was not awarded a wild-card, and determined to play the qualifying rounds in a bid to succeed in the principle draw.

The Japanese, who’s within the midst of a come-back season after her 2023 maternity go away, was ranked No 833 on her return and is now at present at No 95.

The principle-draw cut-off for direct entry for the event was World No 49 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria.

2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and locals Caroline Dolehide and Peyton Stearns, the World Nos 51 and 52, have been awarded main-draw wild-cards.

Shocked by her look within the qualifiers, followers poured in to look at Osaka’s tussle with Blinkova on Sunday, which arrange a gathering with Ashlyn Krueger within the 2nd-qualifying spherical, and a win right here will earn Osaka a spot in the principle draw.

“I, sadly, have at all times suffered from, like, perfectionism, and I doubt myself quite a bit, however I believe going via this course of and having actually powerful losses that I’ve discovered quite a bit about myself, and I discovered that I actually love this recreation, and am keen to do no matter it takes to get to the place I really feel like I need to be,” Osaka stated.

Followers lauded her for enjoying in qualifying, regardless of nonetheless being one of the vital marketable and influential of ladies gamers on the planet.

“Good for Naomi for grinding. It labored for Andre Agassi. Perhaps Coco Gauff ought to attempt it,” a fan wrote, suggesting that the World No 2 Gauff just isn’t placing in as a lot work into her recreation as Osaka is.

“Superior that she doesn’t really feel like she’s too good for qualies. Like it,” commented one other fan.

“This simply made me so proud Naomi Osaka. Displaying up and combating in qualies on the HCs as a ‘HC specialist’, actually exhibits how a lot you need it, I’m so so happy with you,” one other fan chimed in.

One other set of followers in contrast Osaka to Emma Raducanu, who opted to skip the Cincinnati Open completely after not being awarded a wild-card entry.

“Emma Raducanu thinks qualifying is beneath her, so she’s again house within the UK. And but, Naomi Osaka, a far superior participant, is right here, taking over the problem,” one fan commented.

“Mucho respect for Osaka for doing this. Raducanu take notice! What somewhat diva she remains to be wouldn’t do qualies,” one other fan weighed in.

26-year outdated Osaka completed because the Cincy runner-up in 2020, having misplaced to Victoria Azarenka on the remaining.

Additionally in qualifying is Britain’s Harriet Dart, who, because the fifteenth seed, was a 6-4 2-6 6-0 winner over Russia’s  Kamelia Rahkimova and can play Elina Avanesyan, the American Fifth qualifying seed, who dispatched her compatriot Lauren Davis, a wild-card into qualifying, 6-3 6-1.

Olympic Bronze medallist Iga Swiatek returns to the tour on the Cincinnati Open this week, main a top quality discipline on the WTA 1000 lead-in to the US Open

© Miguel Medina/AFP through Getty Photos