–

The 48-player draw at Winston-Salem had numerous early casualties amongst the bigger names.

And so in the end, it was a great opportunity for some lower-ranked players to make a move.

The final featured unseeded Ilya Ivashka against unseeded Mikael Ymer. The winner would earn his first career ATP Tour title.

In the end, it was Ivashka in a walk.

There were no changes in the top 20.

WTA Rankings Report – as of Aug. 30, 2021

ON THE UPSWING

Reilly Opelka (USA): No. 25 =======> No. 24

Ilya Ivashka (BLR): No. 63 =======> No. 53 (His first title, at age 27, helps Ivashka rise to a new career high. He’s 23-12 on the year, which is impressive for a player in his rankings bracket. He gets American Tennys Sandgren in the first round of the US Open).

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN): No. 76 =======> No. 66 (The 22-year-old from Finland also rises to a career best, after making the semis in Winston-Salem. Along the way, be beat Alexander Bublik, Benoit Paire and Richard Gasquet. Qualifier Kamil Majchrzak of Poland is his first-round opponent at the US Open).

Mikael Ymer (SWE): No. 90 =======> No. 72 (The final didn’t go his way – to say the least, it was 6-0, 6-2. But the jump in the rankings is real. Ymer beat Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz on the way to the final. He gets American wild card Jenson Brooksby in the first round at Flushing Meadows).

Max Purcell (AUS): No. 205 =======> No. 191 (It worked out well for Purcell, who waited a day to sign in as a lucky loser in Winston-Salem and got a first-round bye. He also got the Tennis Australia reciprocal wild card into the US Open, and will play … No. 13 seed Jannik Sinner in the first round)

Nicolas Jarry (CHI): No. 238=======> No. 226 (Two years ago, before a doping suspension, Jarry was No. 38. He is slowly making his way back form nowhere. Outside the US Open qualifying cutoff at the deadline, he has continued to play challenges in Europe. He made the quarters in Warsaw last week, after making the final in Luedenscheid, Germany the week before that).

Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG): No. 296 =======> No. 249 (The 22-year-old from Argentina hits a career high as he wins the Challenger in Warsaw, Poland last week).

Giulio Zeppieri (ITA): No. 297 =======> No. 251 (Yup, ANOTHER young Italian as the 19-year-old wins the Challenger in Barletta, Italy last week and moves to a career best. He has played 15 of his 18 tournaments (all Challengers) at home in Italy this year. With that ability to not have to travel far and wide, or spend a small fortune doing it, no wonder the Italians are on the comeup).

ON THE DOWNSWING

Stan Wawrinka (SUI): No. 31 =======> No. 33 (When will Stan the Man be back? Only the shadow knows).

Arthur Rinderknech (FRA): No. 78 =======> No. 83

Tallon Griekspoor (NED): No. 110=======> No. 121 (No matter – he’s straight into the US Open, where he’ll play Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round).

Dmitry Popko (KAZ): No. 182 =======> No. 193