Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Shock Upsets – Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Musetti, Casper Ruud Bow Out Early at Cincinnati Open 2025

A wild Saturday in Cincinnati saw Cobolli, Musetti, and Ruud all sent packing.

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Open 2025 was shaken by a trio of second-round stunners on Saturday as three seeded stars, Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Musetti, and Casper Ruud, were ousted in their opening matches. All three had enjoyed first-round byes, but their campaigns ended abruptly at the hands of inspired underdogs in three sets.

He didn't win the match, but this point from Flavio Cobolli wins our @BetMGM Shot of the Day 😮‍💨 🦾 #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/9QPqutqmE4
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 10, 2025

Cobolli Stung by Atmane’s Qualifying Surge

World No. 22 Flavio Cobolli entered Cincinnati riding high after clay-court triumphs in Bucharest and Hamburg this season. But his hard-court hopes were cut short by qualifier Terence Atmane, who delivered a fearless performance to claim a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win.

Atmane, ranked 136th, had fought through qualifying, beating Omar Jasika and Tu L, before dismantling Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round. Against Cobolli, he produced 29 winners, including nine aces, while capitalizing on the Italian’s flurry of unforced errors.

ALLEZ 😜

World No. 136 Terence Atmane defeats Cobolli 6-4 3-6 7-6 for his biggest career win by ranking! #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/EXEL9RARRF
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 10, 2025

The Frenchman, who last reached the third round of a Masters 1000 event in Rome 2024, kept his composure in a tense final-set tiebreak, sealing a statement victory. He now faces Joao Fonseca, who advanced after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s retirement.

Musetti Edged by Bonzi’s Turning Tables

Eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti’s Cincinnati campaign ended in a grueling three-set battle with Benjamin Bonzi, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4). Bonzi had already shown sharp form in the first round, rallying past Matteo Arnaldi, and carried that momentum into his clash with the Italian.

Musetti looked to be settling into rhythm after taking the opening set, but Bonzi’s persistence, highlighted by crisp returns and aggression, wore him down. In the deciding tiebreak, the Frenchman kept the pressure high, forcing errors and closing the match with a win.

Bonzi d. Musetti 5-7 6-4 7-6 in Cincinnati

Benjamin gets his 3rd top 10 win

A match between two guys who’ve been out of form

Lorenzo has now lost 5 of his last 6 matches…having a tough time getting going since the injury at Roland Garros

Bonzi was so solid in the tiebreak 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/D2pqLcJlfj
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 9, 2025

Bonzi’s reward is a third-round showdown with 25th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, a step up in both challenge and profile. For Musetti, the early loss is a setback after a promising summer stretch that had hinted at deeper hard-court runs.

Rinderknech Dominates Ruud’s Cincinnati Run

Cincinnati brought a cruel twist for Casper Ruud. The 11th seed looked strong early against Arthur Rinderknech, winning the opening set in a tiebreak. But from there, the Frenchman flipped the script, taking the next two sets 6-4, 6-2 with a blend of booming serves and controlled baseline aggression.

Rinderknech saved both break points he faced in the decider, according to ATP Stats, and sealed the win on his first match point. It was his first victory over Ruud in their head-to-head.

Rinderknech d. Ruud 6-7 6-4 6-2 in Cincinnati

Another fantastic win for Arthur.

He was 0-4 against Casper coming into this & had never even taken a set off of him.

Before this year he hadn’t had a top 20 win since 2022.

Now he’s had 3 in the last 3 months.

In great form. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/2qeVkdqBQs
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 9, 2025

The Norwegian, ranked No. 13, suffered his second loss this season after winning the first set, an uncharacteristic dip that raises questions ahead of the U.S. Open. Rinderknech now moves on to face 23rd seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Mandatory Image Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Casper Ruud

Cincinnati Open 2025

Flavio Cobolli

Lorenzo Musetti

Shock Exits

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.