Wu Yibing edges McDonald in three sets in Cincinnati qualifying

Wu Yibing came through a scrappy, momentum-swinging qualifying semifinal in Cincinnati, taking the opening set in a tiebreak, losing his way completely in a 6-1 second set, and then holding his nerve to close out the decider 7-5. The margins sat on the second ball: Wu won 58.1% of his second-serve points while Mackenzie McDonald managed only 48.6%, enough to offset the American's superiority behind the first delivery, where he won 77.8% compared with the Chinese player's 64.8%. McDonald struck nine aces to Wu's five, but six double faults did not cost the winner the match. Wu moved a step from the main draw.