Roger Federer has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open with a back injury, meaning Rafael Nadal is to be the new world No. 1 in next week’s rankings.
Federer, who has won the Ohio warm-up tournament for the US Open on seven occasions, said he had picked up the injury in Montreal, where he lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final.
“I am very sorry to pull out of the Western and Southern Open, as I always enjoy playing here,” Federer said in a statement issued by the tournament. “Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them. Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week.”
Photo: AP
Federer’s withdrawal assures that Nadal will be top of the rankings when they are issued.
On the courts on Monday, US 15th seed Sam Querrey cruised into the second round with a routine 6-3, 6-0 win over compatriot Stefan Kozlov on a day when the old guard dominated the younger players.
Wimbledon semi-finalist Querrey, 29, was barely tested by his 19-year-old wild-card opponent in the 51-minute match, dropping only four points on serve and not even facing one break point.
Photo: AP
“Went out there and just kind of put my head down and went to work, and played a really solid match from start to finish. It felt good,” Querrey said.
Ivo Karlovic, who at 38 is one of the oldest players on the ATP Tour, had a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Czech 24-year-old Jiri Vesely while Italy’s Fabio Fognini, 30, held off Russian youngster Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
In keeping with the trend of veterans beating youngsters, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, 35, beat 21-year-old South Korean Chung Hyeon 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Photo: AFP
Unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet had a 6-4, 6-4 win over John Patrick Smith of Australia.
However, Spain’s Fernando Verdasco was not as fortunate, losing in his first-round encounter against slightly younger German Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s singles, Madison Keys beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe for the second time in eight days with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory to reach the second round.
Keys beat Vandeweghe in straight sets in the Stanford Classic final and while pushed a little harder on Monday, the 16th seed still had enough to get by her big-serving compatriot in just under two hours.
Other winners were Petra Kvitova, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Lesia Tsurenko, Daria Gavrilova, Camila Giorgi, Kiki Bertens, Taylor Townsend, Roberta Vinci, Yulia Putintseva, Daria Kasatkina and Carla Suarez Navarro.
In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the second round after she and partner Monica Niculescu of Romania defeated Briton Johanna Konta and Christina McHale of the US 6-2, 6-2.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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