British number one Norrie, who held the 13th seed in the tournament, was defeated by a resurgent Gael Monfils in a hard-fought match that ended 6-3, 4-6, 3-6. Meanwhile, Evans was bested by Italy's Lorenzo Musetti with a scoreline of 4-6, 3-6.
Notably, Norrie had reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open in 2022. However, following his early eliminations at the Los Cabos Open and Canadian Open post-Wimbledon, Norrie's streak of losses extended to three matches against Monfils. The veteran Monfils battled a calf issue in the initial set, breaking Norrie's serve and leading 2-0, but he faced breaks himself, allowing Norrie to secure five of the next six games.
In the first set, Norrie encountered a 15-40 deficit while serving, but Monfils was unable to capitalize on those break opportunities. The momentum shifted in the second set as Monfils showcased a resurgence. Although Norrie managed to level the set at 4-4, an unfortunate double fault by Norrie in the 10th game allowed Monfils to even the match. Norrie faced struggles in the deciding set, as errors on his part proved to be his downfall.
Evans, on the other hand, endured a quick exit in a mere 86 minutes against Musetti. Musetti took an early lead by breaking Evans' serve, but mistakes from Musetti allowed Evans to break back. Yet, Musetti swiftly regained the advantage with another break, ultimately securing a 5-4 lead before Evans missed opportunities to level the set.
Musetti continued his dominance, clinching the first set and securing a break early in the second set due to an Evans double fault. Musetti's strong serving game proved challenging for Evans, who managed only a single receiving point in the second set. As Evans served to stay in the match, he quickly faced a 40-0 deficit and, although he saved one match point, Musetti's 23rd winner of the day sealed his victory.
This victory propels Musetti into the second round, where he is set to face third seed Daniil Medvedev. As for Norrie and Evans, their Cincinnati campaigns concluded with early defeats, with Norrie's three first-round eliminations in the last four years and Evans' third consecutive opening-round exit marking their respective disappointments.
