Cincinnati's American hopes ride on Tommy Paul as Madison Keys is stunned in a dramatic three-set upset

American stars debuted at the Cincinnati Open with two of their main representatives on court, though with unequal luck. Tommy Paul returned to the courts for the first time since Wimbledon and earned a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 victory against Pedro Martinez, getting a win in his first hardcourt match of the North American summer.

The one who did not have the same success was the 2025 Australian Open champion, Madison Keys, who appeared to be out of her best form and failed to complete her comeback against Eva Lys. The American world No. 6 fought until the end, but she didn't capitalize on her opportunities to close out the victory and was eliminated in her debut at the hands of the German by 1-6, 6-4, 5-7.

Tommy Paul returns in form, dominates Pedro Martinez in Cincinnati

Paul had a simple debut in his return to the courts after a month out of competition. The American is another who skipped the Canadian Open—like figures such as Sinner and Alcaraz—and made his return to hardcourts as a local. The world No. 16 did not have much success in the grass-swing, with only one victory and two defeats, falling in his debut in Eastbourne and then only reaching the second round at Wimbledon.

However, his return to hardcourts quickly brought him an impressive day. The American No. 3 was sharp on the important points, saving a couple of break points at the start before getting the first break in the third game. With the advantage on his side, Tommy Paul knew how to manage his service games, staying ahead despite the pressure from his opponent. At 4-2, he saved another break point against him and immediately afterward got the break that would give him the set. Paul took the set 6-2, saving up to four break points along the way and being much more aggressive than his opponent, with 19 winners to Martinez's 6.

In the second set, the Spaniard managed to get his serve in order, but Paul once again secured a break at the start. The world No. 16 this time knew how to stay ahead, conceding barely any points on his serve, and knew how to handle the pressure better to avoid problems. Paul secured the double break, and although he had some difficulties in closing out the victory, he ended up winning the match 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the third round in Cincinnati. His next opponent will be the qualifier Adrian Mannarino, who surprised Tomas Machac earlier in the day.

Match Statistics Martinez vs. Paul

Upset in Cincinnati: World No. 6 Madison Keys stunned by Eva Lys

Madison Keys has managed to maintain consistency throughout the entire season, with a 35-11 record prior to arriving in Cincinnati. The world No. 6 reached the quarterfinals in Montreal but ended up running out of gas against Clara Tauson, falling in straight sets.

This time in Cincinnati, she was looking to regain her form and had a tough draw against one of the rising stars, Eva Lys. The German came in with better match rhythm after debuting with a three-set victory over Bernarda Pera, and she was the one who took control of the match at the beginning.

After both defended their first service game, Lys was the exclusive dominator of the match, getting two consecutive breaks. The 23-year-old star had some difficulties closing out the set, facing a couple of break points against her at 5-1, but she finished with a good run of points to take the first set 6-1, in which she had won 69% of her service points compared to Keys's only 44%.

In the second set, Keys was the one who started ahead by getting the first break, but Lys quickly responded with a break back. This was of little use to the German star, who lost her serve for a second consecutive time and saw Keys take a 4-1 lead. From there, the American had no problems managing the advantage. She wasted a couple of set points on return at 5-2, but ended up closing out the set on her serve 6-3, taking everything to a deciding set.

Lys quickly took the advantage at the start of the decider, with good serves she advanced to 3-0 thanks to an early break. Keys, however, would not let the match get away so easily and reacted by breaking back. The American won five of the next six games played and took the lead to 5-4, with the possibility of serving for the victory. However, Keys couldn't capitalize on her chance, and Lys brought out her best tennis in the final part, getting two consecutive breaks and closing out the victory 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Match Statistics Lys vs. Keys