Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula Lead American Charge at Cincinnati Open

MASON, Ohio — In a standout day for American players at the Cincinnati Open, Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula secured their spots in the quarterfinals with hard-fought three-set victories on Wednesday. Paul, ranked as the eighth seed, overcame a set deficit to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion, with a score of 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, despite the match being interrupted for nearly 90 minutes due to rain during the second set. He will next face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Pegula, currently leading the WTA Tour with 43 victories in 2026, triumphed over Romanian Sorana Cirstea with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. This victory marks Pegula’s fourth quarterfinal appearance at the event. In her upcoming match, she will compete against fellow American Amanda Anisimova, who advanced by defeating Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4.

Fourth-ranked Coco Gauff also showcased her skills, taking down Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-2, in a match lasting 1 hour and 33 minutes, despite struggling with six double faults. Gauff, who previously won the title in 2023, continues to build momentum in the tournament.

Madison Keys made history by becoming the fourth American woman to reach the quarterfinals, achieving victory over Wang Xiyu with a 7-6, 6-4 scoreline. This marks the highest number of American women in the Cincinnati quarterfinals since 2004.

On the men’s side, Taylor Fritz continued to impress as the highest-ranked American man still in the tournament, achieving a straight-sets win over Australian Christopher O’Connell with a score of 6-4, 6-3. American Brandon Nakashima also advanced, defeating Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 for his second consecutive quarterfinal appearance.

In other matches, defending champion Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to nine matches, defeating France’s Diane Parry 6-3, 6-3. Swiatek is set to face No. 2 seeds Elena Rybakina, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

In a closely contested match, Marta Kostyuk rallied to defeat 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, avenging her previous loss to Andreeva in the semifinals of Roland Garros. Cobolli also made headlines by securing his first Cincinnati quarterfinal appearance, overcoming Rafael Jodar with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Additionally, Thiago Agustin Tirante, who achieved a notable victory over Novak Djokovic in the second round, became the first Argentine to reach the Cincinnati quarterfinals since Juan Martín del Potro in 2018, after defeating Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Later on Wednesday night, American Frances Tiafoe was scheduled to face off against top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka, as rain delays pushed the schedule back.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn