Yamashita shoots 62 to take 1st-round lead in Edmonton in the CPKC Women’s Open

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Miyu Yamashita shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday for a one-stroke lead over fellow Japanese player Nasa Hataoka in the CPKC Women’s Open, with two Canadian teenagers on the leaderboard in the national championship.

American Kiara Romero was third at 64 in her first round as an LPGA Tour member, a stroke ahead of the Canadian teens — 17-year-old Anna Huang and 18-year-old amateur Michelle Xing — and China’s Ruoning Yi.

Yamashita closed her morning round at Stanley Thompson-designed Royal Mayfair with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. She won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June after taking the Women’s British Open and Maybank Championship last year.

“It’s been a while since I finished the first round in good position, so I was able to make some putts as well,” Yamashita said. “I’m pretty happy with how I played.”

She wasn't pleased about the abundant mosquitoes on the tree-lined course tucked in a bend in the North Saskatchewan River near downtown.

“There's so many bugs on the course," Yamashita said.

Hataoka finished with a bogey on No. 9.

“No wind today and so many mosquitoes,” she said.

Huang, from Vancouver, British Columbia, has four victories on the Ladies European Tour, two last year and two this season.

“I think I’m definitely a lot more confident than I was the past few years coming into this event,” Huang said.

Xing, from Richmond Hill, Ontario, is set to begin her freshman year at UCLA.

“I was just trying to keep it simple.” Xing said. “Like a lot of the time just trying to get the speed with certain putts because I had a lot of long putts.”

The 20-year-old Romero is the second player to earn LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad last year.

Jennifer Kupcho topped the group at 66.

Top-ranked Nelly Korda was at 67 with Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2025 champion.

“The scores are very low out here today,” Henderson said. “Just trying to go out tomorrow and make a bunch of birdies and try to catch them.”

Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, opened with a 70.

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Canada's Brooke Henderson hits her second shot on the fourth hole during the first round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nelly Korda, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Michelle Xing, of Richmond Hill, Ont., watches her tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round at the CPKC Canadian Women's Open LPGA golf tournament, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Miyu Yamashita, of Japan, hits her tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Miyu Yamashita, back right, of Japan, walks past a mini CPKC train as she arrives at the first tee behind Hannah Green, of Australia, during the first round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Elena Rybakina stopped playing during the first set of her quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday night.

With the No. 2-ranked Rybakina serving at 1-4, 40-40, she took a medical timeout to have trainers address her left ankle area and retired from the match moments later.

“Of course I feel not the greatest,” Rybakina said. “It's painful to walk. We'll know more tomorrow when we have the MRI. It's been bothering me for a long period of time but felt like I had it under control.”

After aggravating the injury during the second set on Thursday, she spent several minutes speaking with trainers before returning to the court. She decided to call it quits after she was unable to put full weight on her leg while attempting a serve.

“It was feeling OK before (Thursday’s) match,” Rybakina said. “Unfortunately one wrong movement and something happened.”

With top seed Aryna Sabalenka losing Thursday night to Sara Bejlik, the 27-year-old Rybakina could have risen to No. 1 in the rankings by reaching the final.

Swiatek, the defending champion, will face American Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. She has reached at least the semifinals in each of her last four appearances in Cincinnati. Swiatek beat Rybakina in the semifinals in Cincinnati last year.

“Not the way you want the match to end,” Swiatek said. “She didn't look good, obviously. Then she wanted treatment and I wasn't sure if she was going to be back or not. She's walking normally now. I felt really sorry for her but hopefully it's nothing serious and she's going to be ready for the U.S. Open.”

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Elena Rybakina celebrates her win over Coco Gauff during National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)