CINCINNATI, AUG 17 (IANS): Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria produced the biggest upset of the Cincinnati Open so far, defeating world No. 5 Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-4 to register his first career Top 10 win. The result ended Shelton’s six-match winning streak and dashed hopes of back-to-back deep runs at Masters 1000 events following his Montreal triumph last week.
Faria capitalized on Shelton’s sluggish start, breaking early in the first set and rallying from 1-4 down in the second to win five consecutive games. Despite Shelton creating 12 break-point chances, he converted only one, allowing Faria to seal the match in straight sets. The Portuguese will now face Australia’s Adam Walton in the third round after Walton overcame Ignacio Buse 6-4, 6-3.
Elsewhere, sixth seed Taylor Fritz advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Alex Michelsen. Fritz will meet Daniel Merida Aguilar, who dispatched Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-2. Rising American Learner Tien, fresh off a semi-final in Montreal, also progressed by defeating Sebastian Baez 6-3, 7-6(4). Tien’s next challenge will be Frances Tiafoe, who overcame Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4.
Gauff’s resilience, Sabalenka’s power
On the women’s side, No. 4 seed Coco Gauff showcased her trademark resilience, rallying from a set down to beat Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. It was Gauff’s 10th comeback win of the season, tying Jessica Pegula for the most three-set recoveries on tour in 2026. After losing the opening set, Gauff broke Samsonova in the crucial 10th game of the second set before dominating the decider with five straight games. The 2023 Cincinnati champion will now face fellow American Ann Li, against whom she holds a 3-0 record.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also advanced, defeating Wang Xinyu 6-2, 7-6(2). Despite battling fatigue from humid conditions, Sabalenka extended her streak to 24 consecutive opening-match wins at tour level. She will meet Wang again, having beaten her previously at the 2022 Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek continued her dominance, dispatching Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0 for her seventh straight win in Cincinnati.
The victory marked Swiatek’s 30th main-draw win of the season and her 41st 6-0 set at WTA 1000 level, a tally bettered only by Martina Hingis and Serena Williams since 1990. Swiatek now faces Maria Sakkari, with the chance to join the elite group of active players with 100-plus hard-court WTA 1000 wins.