Sabalenka and Auger-Aliassime advance at Cincinnati Open
The top seeds navigated blustery conditions and match-point pressure to secure their positions in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters, with several players using the tournament to prepare for the upcoming US Open.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka required six match points to overcome Australia’s Talia Gibson in a tense second set at the Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka saved five match points in the tiebreak before securing a 7-2 victory in the decider, completing a 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) win in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court in Ohio. The Belarusian, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2024, stated she was “super tired” due to the weather but remained calm to pull out the straight-sets victory.
Sabalenka advances alongside Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina and Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva. Rybakina, who is closing the gap on Sabalenka in the world rankings following a runner-up finish at the Toronto Masters, defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4. Andreeva powered through with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Oleksandra Oliynykova, breaking five times and saving all seven break points she faced.
In the men’s draw, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated former champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5. Auger-Aliassime, who withdrew from the Montreal Masters due to back pain, used Cincinnati to prepare for the US Open. He broke Tsitsipas’s serve three times in the second set and hit seven aces, completing the match in 88 minutes. The Canadian noted that a late break of his serve could be blamed partly on the windy conditions, but he was happy to secure the win.
Other notable results included a victory for fourth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 7-5. US sixth seed Taylor Fritz recovered from smashing a racquet early in his match to defeat compatriot Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-4 in swirling winds.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek defeated Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0, while US hope Coco Gauff had to work harder for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Liudmila Samsonova. Blustery conditions and brief rain affected play, halting evening matches for under 30 minutes. Jaime Faria secured his first top-10 win by defeating Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-4, rallying from 4-1 down in the second set.
