Two nights after outlasting Emma Raducanu in a three-hour thriller, Aryna Sabalenka wanted half that point to get the higher of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of their fourth-round match Wednesday evening.
The World No. 1 wrapped up a straight-set victory, 6-1, 7-5, in a single hour and 20 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals and transfer one step nearer to defending her Cincinnati Open title.
Her subsequent impediment? Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina got here out on prime in her personal fourth-round match, a High 10 conflict towards Madison Keys, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to arrange the second assembly of 2025 between her and Sabalenka.
Cincinnati: Attracts | Scores | Order of Play
Sabalenka dispatches in-form Bouzas Maneiro
After a comparatively routine first set, nothing got here simple for Sabalenka within the second.
The Belarusian used an early break to take a 4-2 benefit and gave the impression to be on her option to a simple win earlier than Bouzas Maneiro gained three straight video games to take a 5-4 lead within the second set.
Bouzas Maneiro received inside two factors of profitable the set and forcing a decider earlier than Sabalenka rediscovered the extent she had at first of the match.
“Jessica is a superb participant,” Sabalenka mentioned after the match. “I knew coming into the evening that I’d should work for each level. She didn’t begin effectively at the start, however then she discovered her rhythm and it was a extremely powerful battle. I’m tremendous pleased to get this win in straight units. I didn’t need to keep right here for 3 hours, sorry guys.”
With the victory, Sabalenka turns into the primary participant to register 50 wins on the WTA Tour in 2025. It’s the third straight season she has tallied 50 or extra wins.
She additionally turns into the primary participant to succeed in at the very least 4 consecutive Cincinnati quarterfinals since Simona Halep, who made six straight from 2013 to 2018.
Rybakina survives in three units, beats Keys for third time
After a string of near-misses this season, it was solely a matter of time earlier than Rybakina scored a press release win in 2025.
That second got here Wednesday evening in a High 10 showdown towards Keys, who had defeated Rybakina on the Australian Open earlier this yr in three units.
It was Rybakina claiming victory in a three-set thriller this time round, and within the course of, she turns into simply the second High 10 participant since 1990 to say three comeback wins en path to a Tier 1/WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
The victory over Keys is Rybakina’s second High 10 win of 2025, after coming from a set right down to defeat Paula Badosa in Dubai in February.
She’ll have one other likelihood at a High 10 win when she faces Sabalenka within the quarterfinals.
Sabalenka appears to increase her lead in rivalry with Rybakina
Whereas Rybakina is coming off a giant win, it is Sabalenka who holds the sting on this oft-played rivalry.
Sabalenka leads the sequence 7-4, and gained their most up-to-date assembly earlier this yr in Berlin, 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6), to succeed in the semifinals on the grass.
Nonetheless, one stat that favors Rybakina forward of Friday’s quarterfinal: Neither participant has gained two in a row within the final six matches of this sequence.
