No smiles as Chris O'Connell advances, while Aussie women's campaign ends

Chris O'Connell, Adam Walton advance, Talia Gibson falls at Cincinnati OpenPosted Mon 17 Aug 2026 at 11:13amMon 17 Aug 2026 at 11:13amChris O'Connell advanced thanks to Casper Ruud's injury retirement. (Getty Images: Matthew Stockman)In short:Chris O'Connell has reached the third round of the Cincinnati Open after Casper Ruud's injury retirement.He joins Adam Walton, Rinky Hijikata and Alex de Minaur in the round of 32, while Talia Gibson was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka, leaving no Australian women in the singles tournament.What's next?The US Open main draw starts in New York in less than a week.Chris O'Connell and Adam Walton have made it four Australian men in the third round of the Cincinnati Master, while Talia Gibson's loss to Aryna Sabalenka left the women's draw without green and gold representation. Gibson was beaten 6-2, 7-6(7/2) by the world number one in an hour and 52 minutes, while O'Connell and Walton joined Alex de Minaur and Rinky Hijikata in the round of 32.But O'Connell was in no mood to celebrate after progressing thanks to an injury retirement by 11th-seeded opponent Casper Ruud.The Australian qualifier picked up his fourth win in five days at the Masters 1000 tournament in what is proving his most profitable week of the season, but there were no smiles as he sympathised with Norway's three-time grand slam finalist on his concerning retirement after 64 minutes play.Ruud had started well, moving into a 5-2 lead in the opening set, but the Sydneysider powered back to take the first set, sealing it 7-5 with an ace, as Ruud began to look in increasing discomfort with a back problem.With Ruud leading the second set 2-1 on serve, the Norwegian world number 17 stretched for a wide serve and immediately decided enough was enough, going to the net to offer his hand to the Aussie.Clearly with one eye on the US Open, where the main draw starts a week on Sunday, 2022 Flushing Meadows runner-up Ruud was not keen to take any risks.For world number 129 O'Connell, it was the continuation of an excellent spell following his first-round victory over Poland's world number 68 Kamil Majchrzak.He will next meet Brazilian teenage superstar Joao Fonseca, who defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-6(7/2), and victory in that match would push O'Connell back to the verge of the world's top 100.Talia Gibson's loss to Aryna Sabalenka leaves no Australian women in the Cincinnati singles draw. (Getty Images: Robert Prange)Walton made it four Australians through to the third round along with Hijikata, who faces Jakub Mensik, and national number one Alex de Minaur, who meets British Wimbledon hero Arthur Fery.Walton, the 27-year-old Queenslander currently ranked 98 in the world, overcame the 29th-seeded Peruvian Ignacio Buse 6-4, 6-3 in 72 minutes to set up a showdown with either American Ben Shelton, the eighth seed, or Jaime Faria of Portugal.AAP/ABC