Cincinnati Open: Gauff surges past Kostyuk, Nakashima and Tiafoe move on to semis

[p][b]05:00 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] dominates [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/kostyuk-m-8CZqQdSa/?mid=MB5mLCPQ"]6-2, 6-2[/a] in the final match of the evening to advance to the Cincinnati Open semi-finals for the second time in her career. The last time? In 2023, when she went on to take down Iga Swiatek to win the title.[/p][image alt="Gauff-Kostyuk matchup stats" id="a5adb397-20c5-4896-b413-d480aba53fce" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="0f046d61-de68-4483-9120-03d42ef48d6b" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p]This marks Gauff's 17th WTA 1000 semi-finals appearance, tying Maria Sharapova for the second-most by a women's player 23 or younger ever since the format's introduction in 1990.[/p][p]Gauff's five Masters semi-finals appearances this year are the most by any tennis player outright. She has now won 12 of her last 14 matches, bringing her 2026 win total up to 38. [/p][embed guid="b2ef80bd-50c3-4dbe-a1e1-942eec26b54e" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2090989223096520904?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]03:50 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiafoe-frances/AHDLJaph/"]Frances Tiafoe[/a] defeats [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musetti-lorenzo/xtH2ODVI/"]Lorenzo Musetti[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/musetti-l-xtH2ODVI/tiafoe-f-AHDLJaph/?mid=tfDDNanI"]7-6(2), 7-5[/a] to move on to his third career Masters semi-final![/p][image alt="Musetti-Tiafoe matchup stats" id="b55f10c4-b878-4072-9029-317be15d18b2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="3f7d3cc8-ce1c-4ce0-a0b7-dd5b776c1ce8" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p]Tiafoe will take on Brandon Nakashima, as the two become the first American duo to face off in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals since Andy Roddick took on Mardy Fish in 2010. [/p][p]After eliminating No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the previous round, Tiafoe now looks to hopefully move on once more so he has a shot to claim his first Cinci title after losing in the final to Jannik Sinner in 2024.[/p][embed guid="dffb6f5e-6f88-49f5-a8eb-0f3bfd3d92c1" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2090974869143908832?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]01:20 CET -[/b] Frances Tiafoe and Lorenzo Musetti are underway![/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/musetti-l-xtH2ODVI/tiafoe-f-AHDLJaph/?mid=tfDDNanI"]Follow the matchup here.[/a][/b][/p][p][b]00:30 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakashima-brandon/ETGnbrpH/"]Brandon Nakashima[/a] continues his incredible run, upsetting No. 3 seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fritz-t-UH09iaZ6/nakashima-b-ETGnbrpH/?mid=thAXTt8b"]7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3[/a].[/p][image alt="Fritz-Nakashima matchup stats" id="e0642f1e-8859-4e7d-b71b-0368f1ae218c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="dcd79ad9-c3eb-4a25-be4d-709456c47f5a" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p]He becomes the first American men's player since 2011 to reach the semi-finals in both Canada and Cincinnati in the same year, and the first player ranked outside of the top-20 (ranked No. 33) to do so since 1990. [/p][p]It marks his fourth top-10 win of 2026 and just his second win against Fritz in six total matches. [/p][embed guid="f607eacb-c841-46ae-8332-3e57888fd992" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2090927809346634216?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]23:44 CET -[/b]  [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakashima-brandon/ETGnbrpH/"]Brandon Nakashima[/a] are heading to a deciding set in the third of the men's quarter-finals. Nakashima edged a tight opener before the sixth seed came back to leave the match poised at 6-7(9), 6-4.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fritz-t-UH09iaZ6/nakashima-b-ETGnbrpH/?mid=thAXTt8b"]Follow the third set live here.[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="a3796bd9-ef96-4308-83d2-2b45416070d7" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2090916502497087975" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]21:54 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a] is through to the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters! The Czech has roared back from 3-6, 1-3 down to upset Grand Slam winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bejlek-s-jVCKq0LH/keys-m-QwU996PK/?mid=AqhoF8Y9"]3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5)[/a].[/p][p]The 20-year-old has been on a giant-killing run in Ohio, defeating top seed Aryna Sabalenka as well as compatriot Barbora Krejcikova.[/p][p]She will next take on the winner of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a] for a place in Sunday's decider, looking to reach just her second Tour-level final.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="3e3940e2-3471-4ae8-8e16-d8ee00411735" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="29377a71-44ef-460f-b3ee-d519a23822ae" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Next up today, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a] faces the in-form [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakashima-brandon/ETGnbrpH/"]Brandon Nakashima[/a] in an all-American affair, as both men look to reach the Cincinnati semi-finals for the first time.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fritz-t-UH09iaZ6/nakashima-b-ETGnbrpH/?mid=thAXTt8b"]Follow that match live here.[/a][/b][/p][p][b]20:36 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a] has fought back to win the second set against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] in Cincinnati, with the match poised at 6-3, 6-4. Impressively, the Czech came back from 3-1 down to win the set in 45 minutes, forcing a decider in the quarter-final.[/p][embed guid="12afe783-a18e-423c-8af3-e105a01ed35a" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2090871612488687850" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]19:52 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] has taken the lead in her quarter-final against Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a], claiming the first set 6-3 in just over 40 minutes in Cincinnati. The American has one foot in the semis now; can she close it out?[/p][embed guid="8ac67d71-d286-4132-a86c-9a440f69c065" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2090859995894059317" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]18:32 CET - [/b]We’re less than 30 minutes away from the first quarter-final of the day, as former Cincinnati champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] takes on Aryna Sabalenka’s conqueror, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a], in what is a first-ever meeting between the two players.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bejlek-s-jVCKq0LH/keys-m-QwU996PK/?mid=AqhoF8Y9"]Follow point-by-point coverage right here![/a][/b][/p][image alt="Pre-match win probability" id="5dcc39f8-5faa-41c8-bf51-a708c208799f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c8c19e2b-c79a-466a-b202-7594b421aa0f" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p][b]16:00 CET -[/b] Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of today's quarter-final action in Ohio![/p][p]Play gets started in a few hours at [b]19:00 CET[/b], as home favourite and 2019 champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] takes on Czechia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Sara Bejlek[/a], who claimed the scalp of top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] in the previous round.[/p][p]Following that clash, men's sixth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fritz-taylor/UH09iaZ6/"]Taylor Fritz[/a] comes up against the in-form [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakashima-brandon/ETGnbrpH/"]Brandon Nakashima[/a] in an all-American affair, as both men look to reach the Cincinnati semi-finals for the first time.[/p][embed guid="ff24a419-3254-4766-bfe7-1846a2e1dbed" url="https://x.com/CincyTennis/status/2090639404607938703" social-type="twitter" /][p]Later on, Italy's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musetti-lorenzo/xtH2ODVI/"]Lorenzo Musetti[/a] faces former finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tiafoe-frances/AHDLJaph/"]Frances Tiafoe[/a], with the American chasing a first Masters 1000 semi-final since reaching the showpiece event back in 2024.[/p][p]The final match of the day sees women's fourth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] take on Ukraine's red-hot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a], as the 2023 champion looks to reach the last-four stage at a third consecutive tournament.[/p][p][b]Check out the full men's draw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/cincinnati/"]here[/a] and the full women's draw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/cincinnati/"]here[/a].[/b][/p]