Defending Champion Coco Gauff Falls to Putintseva in First Match at Cincinnati Open 

Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning the first set of a match against Coco Gauff of the United States on day four of the Cincinnati Open. Mandatory (Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports)
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning the first set of a match against Coco Gauff of the United States on day four of the Cincinnati Open. Mandatory (Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports)
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Defending Champion Coco Gauff Falls to Putintseva in First Match at Cincinnati Open 

Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning the first set of a match against Coco Gauff of the United States on day four of the Cincinnati Open. Mandatory (Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports)
Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reacts after winning the first set of a match against Coco Gauff of the United States on day four of the Cincinnati Open. Mandatory (Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports)

Defending champion Coco Gauff lost Thursday in her opening match at the Cincinnati Open, falling to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Gauff, then 19, became the youngest Cincinnati champion last year on her way to winning the US Open a few weeks later. This time, after a bye in the first round, the No. 2 seed blew a 4-2 lead in the third set and lost to Putintseva for the first time in four career meetings.

Putintseva, who beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, will face Spain's Paula Badosa on Friday in the third round.

The women's No. 4 seed also was eliminated, with Elena Rybakina falling to Leylah Fernandez 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka won her opening match, beating Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4.

Taylor Townsend kept up her strong summer by beating No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 and will face either fellow American Jessica Pegula, the No. 6 seed, or Karolina Muchova.

In men's action, No. 12 seed Ben Shelton outlasted Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (9-7), 6-3. An American, Brandon Nakashima, beat France's Arthur Fils 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) to set up a meeting with No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev.

No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz won the first set in his match against Gael Monfils on Thursday night before play was suspended by rain with the players in a second-set tiebreaker.

Fifth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz also reached the round of 16, but No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov and No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas were both ousted. Dimitrov fell to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; while Britain's Jack Draper beat Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.



Tusk: Poland Will Seek to Host Olympics in 2040 or 2044

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Men's Preliminary Phase - Pool C - Poland vs France (Bryl/Losiak vs Bassereau/Lyneel) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 01, 2024. The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings are illuminated at the end of the game. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Men's Preliminary Phase - Pool C - Poland vs France (Bryl/Losiak vs Bassereau/Lyneel) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 01, 2024. The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings are illuminated at the end of the game. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
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Tusk: Poland Will Seek to Host Olympics in 2040 or 2044

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Men's Preliminary Phase - Pool C - Poland vs France (Bryl/Losiak vs Bassereau/Lyneel) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 01, 2024. The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings are illuminated at the end of the game. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Men's Preliminary Phase - Pool C - Poland vs France (Bryl/Losiak vs Bassereau/Lyneel) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 01, 2024. The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings are illuminated at the end of the game. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

Poland will seek to host the Olympic Games in 2040 or 2044, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday.
Tusk said it was not yet clear whether the goal was realistic for Poland. However, according to Reuters, he said he believed he could do a lot to make it happen.
"Taking into account the preliminary decisions and declaration of the International Olympic Committee, we can talk about 2040 or 2044," Tusk told reporters at a news conference on modernizing soccer stadiums.
Poland with Ukraine co-hosted Euro football tournament in 2012 and last summer hosted the multi-sports European Games, but has never hosted the Olympic Games.
The previous Polish government had said it would bid to hold the Olympics in summer 2036.
Los Angeles will host the 2028 summer Games and Brisbane, Australia, is preparing to stage the 2032 Olympics.
Egypt has also said it will bid to host 2036 and 2040 summer Olympics.
Potential host nations' willingness to take on the Olympic Games was in doubt after questions about scandals, costs and legacy. Tokyo's 2020 Games were largely spectator-less because of COVID.
But the Games that ended earlier this month in Paris have been credited with rejuvenating the Olympic brand.