Garbine Muguruza suffers surprise exit as defending champion in Cincinnati
Thursday 16 August 2018 06:37, UK
Defending champion Garbine Muguruza was knocked out of the Western and Southern Open by Lesia Tsurenko in a surprise three-set defeat in Cincinnati.
The world No 7 lost 2-6 6-4 6-4 against the world No 45 from Ukraine in her first match since a second-round exit at Wimbledon, after withdrawing from San Jose and Montreal with a right arm injury.
Tsurenko secured her first top-10 victory since 2015 and consigned two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza to a fourth defeat from her last six matches.
After the opening two sets were shared Muguruza appeared well placed to progress, leading 3-0 and 4-1 but Tsurenko won five games on the bounce to seal an impressive win before rain forced to play suspended.
Sloane Stephens, who will defend her US Open title later this month, eased to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Tatjana Maria.
The American world No 3, who reached the Montreal final last week, will next face Belgium's Elise Mertens, who defeated Rebecca Peterson 3-6 6-2 7-6(7-1).
Aryna Sabalenka, who had knocked out Johanna Konta on Monday, continued her impressive rise up the rankings with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 against ninth seed to Karolina Pliskova.
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Watch the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati as we welcome the return of Britain's Andy Murray and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. We're live on Sky Sports Arena from 4pm on Monday, August 13.
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