Svitolina wins Cincinnati opener; Anisimova withdraws with fatigue

CINCINNATI -- Elina Svitolina advanced to the second round of the Cincinnati Open after coming from a set down to defeat Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday night. 

Ranked No.29 on the PIF WTA Rankings entering the tournament, Svitolina is a former semifinalist, having reached the final four in 2015. She stormed to a 4-1 lead over Wang before play was interrupted due to an ailing spectator. When play resumed, Wang won three consecutive games to get the set back on serve, and rode that momentum to seal the 7-5 set. 

Svitolina reset herself quickly. On a night that saw the Ukrainian veteran serve nine aces and gamely save six of eight break points faced, Svitolina kept Wang at bay for the remainder of the match to earn her first Cincinnati win since 2019. 

Svitolina will face either No.14 seed Victoria Azarenka or lucky loser Lucia Bronzetti. The Italian moved into the main draw after National Bank Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue. 

Other notable results from Day 1 in Cincinnati:

• France's Varvara Gracheva set up a second-round meeting with World No.1 Iga Swiatek after beating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5)
• Marta Kostyuk came from a break down in the third set to defeat Elise Mertens 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. She will face Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun, who defeated Linda Noskova 6-4, 7-6(4). 

• A day after defeating Naomi Osaka in the final round of qualifying, Ashlyn Krueger ousted Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2 to advance to Round 2.
• No.9 seed Daria Kasatkina moved into Round 2 after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2. She will face either American qualifier Taylor Townsend or wild card Caroline Dolehide. 
• Elina Avanesyan, 21, closed out play with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Bianca Andreescu. The victory is Avanesyan's first main-draw win representing Armenia.