US Open champ Stephens wins Cincinnati opener

Mason - Defending U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens overcame a thumb injury to cruise into the third round of the Western & Southern Open with a 6-3, 6-2 win over qualifier Tatjana Maria on Wednesday.

A trainer applied a bandage to the third-seeded Stephens' right thumb between the third and fourth games of the second set of this U.S. Open tuneup. The match was Stephens' first since losing on Sunday to Simona Halep in the finals at Montreal.

Sloane's semifinal appearance last season is her best Cincinnati finish in six previous appearances.

Ninth-seeded Karolina Pliskova was upset by Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a second-round match. Fifteenth-seeded Elise Mertens rallied to squeeze past qualifier Rebecca Peterson, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1) into the third round.

Results from the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters tournament on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):

Men

Second round

Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-3, 7-5

Novak Djokovic (SRB x10) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x5) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

Robin Haase (NED) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x3) 5-7, 6-4, 7-5

Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x13) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-4, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 7-5, 6-4

Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Marius Copil (ROU) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4

Kevin Anderson (RSA x6) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

David Goffin (BEL x11) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Nick Kyrgios (AUS x15) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 7-6 (7/1), 0-6, 6-3

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-5

Stan Wawrinka (SUI) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6-4, 6-4

Women

Second round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x16) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 7-5, 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-2, 6-0

Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x7) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Angelique Kerber (GER x4) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4

Madison Keys (USA x13) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-2, 6-2

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) bt Karolina Plyskova (CZE x9) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

Elise Mertens (BEL x15) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)

Sloane Stephens (USA x3) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-3, 6-2

Anett Kontaveit (EST) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-1, 6-3

Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) 6-4, retired