More rain and more upsets were the order of the day on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, where the Top 10 seeds posted a 1-3 win-loss record in second- and third-round action.

The carnage included No. 3 Sloane Stephens losing to No. 15 Elise Mertens 7-6(8), 6-2; No. 4 Angie Kerber ousted by No. 13 Madison Keys 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4; and No. 6 Caroline Garcia falling to Aryna Sabalenka …

As it has most of this hard court summer, rain is again causing problems for the pro tour. Today in Cincinnati, just 11 of 20 matches scheduled were completed, and only three of those were on the men’s side.

Juan Martin del Potro was still a round behind but he quickly took care of Hyeon Chung 6-2, 6-3. He was scheduled to play later against Nick Kyrgios but that was cancelled.

“I …

I first said tennis needed a “Serve Clock” back in 2008, and though within four years we would see one. Well, it took 10 but it’s finally here, and probably here to stay because… IT’S NOT DOING ANYTHING!

From what I’ve seen these past couple of weeks is that there really hasn’t been much change to pace of play that I’ve noticed. It’s interesting to see the clock wind down, …

Led by European soccer player Gerard Pique, a company named Kosmos offered $3 billion over 25 years to the Davis Cup and its competing nations to overhaul the current format, and today in Orlando they took the money and ran!

So what’s in store?

Starting next year, the Davis Cup will effectively now be played over a single week at the end of the year, following the ATP Finals.

This new tournament will …

Novak Djokovic has never won the Cincinnati Masters, and after dropping the opening set to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino it looked like it was going to stay that way. But the Serb picked him game up and cruised from there to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

“I think it adds more to the motivation rather than pressure,” Djokovic said of being the first to win all nine Masters. “I really want …

The Top 10 seeds held their ground on Tuesday at the Western & Southern Open, including No. 8 seed Petra Kvitova who held off unseeded Serena Williams 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in second-round play.

“It was a pleasure to share the court with Serena, she’s such a champion,” Kvitova said after the high-level encounter. “We are both coming back — from injury, from motherhood — so it’s something really special to play …

Roger Federer cruised in his first hard court match of the summer. The 7-time champion needed just 74 minutes to beat Peter Gojowzcyk 6-4, 6-4.

“I felt good in that first match, to be honest, walking out, hardly any nerves,” Federer said. “I think I knew what I wanted to do, what I had to do. Game plan is very simple. It’s straightforward, it’s fast-court tennis.

“I’m only feeling better every day …

Serena Williams debuted like a bomb shell on Monday at the Western & Southern Open, while two seeds were upset and a third barely escaped in Cincinnati.

Williams never let up in destroying Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-2 to set up a meeting with No. 8 seed Petra Kvitova.

“It’s never easy, no matter what the scoreline says,” said Williams afterwards. “I definitely felt relaxed after the first break, but it’s just …

Several of the top names in tennis were action on Monday at the Cincinnati Masters. And the results were mixed.

Two-time tournament champion Andy Murray made his 2018 Masters debut but struggled in a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 loss to Lucas Pouille. The French who once beat Rafael Nadal at the US Open, fell last week to teen Felix Auger-Alissiame. But this afternoon, opened and finished strong in his first career win …

Just hours after winning his 4th Canadian Open title, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Cincinnati event which began today.

Nadal did have a bye and was projected to meet either Dusan Lajovic or Milos Raonic in his opener late Tuesday or Wednesday. But he will not be playing.

“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Cincinnati this year. No other reason than …

World No. 1 Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens are developing into the rivalry on the WTA tour.

After Halep squeaked-out a come-from-behind victory in the French Open final a couple months ago, the Romanian on Sunday in Montreal again proved her mettle, beating Stephens 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4 to win the Rogers Cup title.

“This week, it’s been an amazing effort,” said Halep after claiming her third title of the year. “It’s brutal, …

Rafael Nadal dominated birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas early, then had to hang on late for a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory to win his fourth Canadian Open title in Toronto this afternoon.

After the two traded love holds to start the match, Nadal broke Tsitipas then rolled to a quick 6-2 first set. The Greek, who was celebrating his 20th birthday Sunday, just couldn’t find the mark really on anything.

Meanwhile, Rafa was …

Serena is back, but gets a rude hello in Cincinnati where she will be tested from the get-go.

A number of seeds receive early-round testers in a field loaded with unseeded landmines including Serena, former world No. 2 Aggie Radwanska, Johanna Konta, former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, former No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova, and US Open semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe.

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN
CINCINNATI, Ohio; Surface: hard

Seeds: Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Angelique …

Seven-time Cincinnati winner Roger Federer returns after resting during the week of the Rogers Cup to take to his happy hunting ground in Ohio.

Grigor Dimitrov defends championship points, while Federer and Rafael Nadal resume their race for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN
CINCINNATI, Ohio; Surface: hard

Seeds: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Juan Martin del Potro, Grigor Dimitrov, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, John Isner, Novak Djokovic, …

World No. 1 Simona Halep and in-form reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens will face off in the Rogers Cup Montreal final after straight-set wins on Saturday.

It will be a rematch of the French Open final won by Halep just months back.

Halep handled Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 6-1 in the first semifinal.

“It’s always nice to play here, as I always say, and I feel it,” the 2016 champion Halep said. …