Coco Gauff (pic) was beaten in her opening-round match of the Cincinnati Open by Yulia Putintseva. -AP
Defending champion Coco Gauff has crashed out of the Cincinnati Open in her opening round, falling to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-4 2-6 6-4.
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Gauff, then 19, became the youngest Cincinnati champion last year on her way to winning the US Open a few weeks later. This time, however, after a bye in the first round, the No.2 seed blew a 4-2 lead in the third set and lost to Putintseva for the first time in four career meetings.
Putintseva, who beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, will face Spain's Paula Badosa on Friday in the third round.
The women's No.4 seed also was eliminated with Elena Rybakina falling to Leylah Fernandez 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.
No.3 Aryna Sabalenka won her opening match, beating Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3 6-4.
Taylor Townsend kept up her strong summer by beating No.9 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1 2-6 6-1 and will face either fellow American Jessica Pegula, the No.6 seed, or Karolina Muchova.
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