Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka pushed through a grueling three hour match to fend off a motivated Emma Raducanu, winning 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) on Monday, and advancing to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open.
The top seed, who triumphed in the Cincinnati final last year against Jessica Pegula, has extended her lead in the WTA Tour match win stats by notching her 49th win of the season.
However, it wasn’t easy for Sabalenka, who managed to hit two aces towards the end.
“I’m really glad to have made it through this tough match”, Sabalenka expressed. “I’m just wishing for a day off tomorrow. I need some time to bounce back after such an intense battle”.
Raducanu really put up a strong fight, keeping pace with Sabalenka all the way.
The British number one endured a grueling 25 minute eighth game in the final set, which saw 13 deuces, with Raducanu saving four break points before finally holding serve for 4-all and moving into a tiebreaker.
But Sabalenka clinched the win with her sixth ace at 5-4 in the tiebreak and hit her seventh on the second match point, wrapping up the match after three hours and nine minutes.
“It was all about momentum”, Sabalenka shared.
“I took some chances at the end, went for some wild shots, and approached the net.Playing a risky game really put a lot of pressure on her”, she mentioned about her opponent, whom she embraced warmly at the net.
Sabalenka is aiming for her 10th trophy at the 1000 level and her second this season after her win in Madrid.
In other third round matches at the final major warm up before the US Open, Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Australian Maya Joint 6-4, 6-3.
Sorana Cirstea took down Yuan Yue 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-4 and will face third seed Iga Swiatek next, who advanced to the round of 16 with a walkover.
Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who reached the quarter-finals in Montreal this month, continued her strong performance on hard courts with a decisive 6-4, 6-1 victory over American wild card Taylor Townsend.
She’ll face Sabalenka next on Wednesday.
- The Future Of Air Travel: Why The 100ml Liquid Limit May Soon Disappear
- Rising Temperatures, Rising Tempers? The Surprising Link Between Heat And Aggression
- India’s Lost Dragonfly Returns After 110 Years
- Snapchat Introduces Safer Story Sharing For Under-16 Users
- Google Launches Gemini 3.5 Live Translate
- The New Dating Trend Everyone’s Talking About: Puffer-Fishing
- Tea, Coffee, Juice: The Worst Empty Stomach Mistakes
- Instagram Introduces Profile Grid Customization
- Skywatchers Alert: Jupiter And Venus Set For A Rare Close Encounter Tonight
- Chrome Just Downloaded a 4GB AI Model? Here’s How to Delete It
- Why Does Real Love Feel Different Than We Expect?
- The 30-Minute Parenting Secret Every Child Needs
- Remote Robotics: Control Robotic Arms From Your Smartphone
- Mumbai’s Pod Taxis: Will BKC Benefit?
- Beyond The Missing Period: Understanding MRKH Syndrome
- Why Calling Every Stomach Problem ‘Gas’ Can Be Risky?
- Poke: Apple’s First AI Agent Debuts
- AC Drying Out Your Skin? Try This Simple Fix
- Want More Fireflies? Transform Your Garden Today
- Spotify Launches Podcast Clips For Instant Highlight Saving
- The Hidden Reason Summer Causes More Headaches
- Early Iron Deficiency Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
- Meta Introduces Premium ‘Plus’ Tier For Instagram, Facebook And WhatsApp
- WhatsApp Launches Channel Status For 24-Hour Admin Updates
- 5 Powerful Signs You’re With The Right Person
- Social Media: The New Smoking For Children?
- Dewy, Glossy, Sweaty: The Viral Makeup Trend Everyone’s Trying
- Luna Launches Smart AI Band For Real-Time Daily Planning
- Meta Launches New ‘Forum’ App
- Why Is Your C-Section Scar Vertical?
- Red vs Orange Heat Alerts: Which One Puts Your Body At Greater Risk?
- Does AC Sleep Weaken Your Immunity? – Myth or Fact?
- The Rise Of Nonnamaxxing
- How To Clean Mushrooms Without Turning Them Soggy?
- How Hot Nights Quietly Harm Your Sleep And Heart?
- Indian Content Creators Can Win a Free Nepal Trip — Here’s How To Apply
- Gemini Omni Flash Brings Multimodal AI Video Creation To Google
- Essential Oil Diffusers: Healthy Trend or Hidden Hazard?
- Gmail Users Alert: Your Free 15 GB Storage Could Disappear
- YouTube Introduces Likeness Detection For 18+ Users
- AI vs Human Language: Is Learning Still Worth It?
- OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Finance Tools With Direct Bank Integration
- The Ageing Risk Of Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little
- Fitness or Future Pain? The Truth About Joint-Damaging Workouts
- Salt Water Trend: What You Need To Know First?
- X Launches History Tab For Likes, Bookmarks And Videos
- Stay Chill: Smart Gadgets For Summer
- Instagram Launches Instant For Disappearing Photos
- ChatGPT App Now Supports Codex Coding Tool
- Best Smart Devices For Senior Citizens
- Why Did Humans Use To Eat Soil, And Why Do Some Still Do?
Leave a Reply