Tsitsipas and Hurkacz progress in Cincinnati as Venus and Dimitrov suffer defeats

[p]With 64 seeds in the men's and women's draw of the last major warm-up prior to the August 30th US Open only going into action from Saturday, interest focused on the fate of 2017 winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dimitrov-grigor/SQgEEKh4/"]Grigor Dimitrov[/a] and 2022 runner-up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsitsipas-stefanos/hb6oWfc6/"]Stefanos Tsitsipas[/a].[/p][p]The popular Dimitrov was unable to hold onto a 4-1 lead in the third set against Argentine [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baez-sebastian/dd8jLjtO/"]Sebastian Baez[/a], exiting in the first round [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/baez-s-dd8jLjtO/dimitrov-g-SQgEEKh4/?mid=v51JjQ2D"]1-6, 6-3, 6-4[/a] as he lost the last five games of the encounter.[/p][p]The 35-year-old Dimitrov, his ranking down to 138 and playing on a wild card, was bidding for his first Cincinnati victory in five years.[/p][embed guid="be6bc89d-d6bd-4aa7-a809-e8a446aa6849" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVf-dnxxQT4" social-type="youtube" /][p]Baez goes on to next play American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tien-learner/xUHOBJK6/"]Learner Tien[/a], a semi-finalist this week in Montreal.[/p][p]Tsitsipas, the former world number three now standing 49th after a months-long slump in form, got past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/royer-valentin/IFGPWCuI/"]Valentin Royer[/a] of France [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/royer-v-IFGPWCuI/tsitsipas-s-hb6oWfc6/?mid=z9hr7omf"]7-6(4), 7-5[/a] after struggling somewhat to close out the victory, which sent him into a match with second seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a].[/p][p]The Greek led a set and 5-2 but was broken as he served for victory, with Royer saving two match points on the way to 5-all.[/p][p]Tsitsipas managed a late break two games later on his sixth match point to advance in two hours.[/p][p]"[b]I'm trying to come to the net as much as possible[/b]," Tsitsipas said. "[b]Whenever a ball is short I try to capture it inside the baseline. That's where I shined the most[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I felt confidence running through my veins. My offensive strategy helped me today, my composure was excellent[/b]."[/p][p]Tsitsipas admitted he was tested at the end as he tried to close out against Royer, and found himself stalling as he missed conversion on winning chances.[/p][embed guid="685309c8-a625-4150-b74f-8af5357325df" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQCSgGN5WBw" social-type="youtube" /][p]"[b]It was nerve-wracking at the end with those match points I was not able to capture[/b]," the Greek said. "[b]It would have been easy to get tight[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I had to remind myself to stay loose and play aggressive. If I was going to miss, at least I knew I had done the right thing[/b]."[/p][p]Tsitsipas, now several months into his coaching split with his father, has climbed to 49th after coming through qualifying at the Montreal Masters, where he lost in the second round.[/p][h2]Venus skid hits 14[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hurkacz-hubert/zuHOBnY9/"]Hubert Hurkacz[/a], a 2023 semi-finalist, advanced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/hurkacz-h-zuHOBnY9/shimabukuro-s-86URR6MP/?mid=Sn7hrw4E"]6-2, 6-4[/a] over qualifying lucky loser [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shimabukuro-sho/86URR6MP/"]Sho Shimabukuro[/a] while Italian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrettini-matteo/OhwtM7N8/"]Matteo Berrettini[/a] defeated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/droguet-titouan/A57Xet1f/"]Thomas Droguet[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/berrettini-m-OhwtM7N8/droguet-t-A57Xet1f/?mid=nTBxi7nn"]3-6, 6-2, 6-4[/a], playing only his second match since Wimbledon due to injury.[/p][p]In the WTA draw, Colombian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arango-emiliana/rwWwX7oC/"]Emilia Arango[/a] handed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-venus/M7dojKaa/"]Venus Williams[/a] a 14th straight loss dating to July of last year, defeating the fading seven-time Grand Slam champion who is currently ranked 615th in 66 minutes by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/arango-e-rwWwX7oC/williams-v-M7dojKaa/?mid=tCIjOHCr"]6-2, 6-2[/a].[/p][embed guid="d005dfb4-e348-4774-919a-fe43e20864b2" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O4Rpr1NQeU" social-type="youtube" /][p]The 46-year-old Williams was given a wild card entry at an event where she reached a semi-final a dozen years ago. She has played and lost 11 times this season while competing on organiser-free entries.[/p][p]Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a] allowed compatriot and 2016 titleholder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pliskova-karolina/xGn9KNfO/"]Karolina Pliskova[/a] only two games in a first-round [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bejlek-s-jVCKq0LH/pliskova-ka-xGn9KNfO/?mid=OWyOOAEd"]6-0, 6-2[/a] rout.[/p]