Sinner, Gauff fall on grass

MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, the Italian’s first tournament since his French Open final defeat.

The world No. 1 fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old’s first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023.

A few days before his defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the title match at the French Open, Sinner had easily dispatched Bublik in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, dropping only six games.

Earlier world No. 3 Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

The 28-year-old German won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) against the 46th-ranked Sonego and next plays another Italian, Flavio Cobolli for a place in the semifinals.

Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff also fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarterfinals.

Recipient of a first-round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world No. 1 Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second-round tie.