Cincinnati Open sees Sabalenka advance, Medvedev’s frustrations surface
Aryna Sabalenka secured her spot in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open after a quick victory, while Daniil Medvedev experienced a frustrating defeat, missing multiple match points.
Sabalenka, the world number one, completed her match against Wang Xinyu in 54 minutes, winning 6-1 6-3. Her performance was marked by not facing any break points and committing only five unforced errors against 17 winners. This win follows her exit from Wimbledon in the fourth round and an early loss in Canada the previous week.
The 28-year-old expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating she trusted herself and went for her shots without overthinking, which she considered the key to her match. This victory marks her 45th appearance in the Round of 16 or better at WTA 1000 events, surpassing Karolina Pliskova among active players. She also now holds 50 career wins at WTA 1000 events as the world number one, a feat achieved by only two other players since the format’s introduction in 2009: Serena Williams (104 wins) and Iga Swiatek (58 wins).
Sabalenka’s position as world number one is currently being challenged by Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina. Going into Cincinnati, Sabalenka held a 354-point lead over Rybakina. For Rybakina to potentially overtake her, she would need to reach the final of the tournament. If Sabalenka progresses to the quarter-finals, Rybakina would then need to win the title to claim the world number one ranking. Sabalenka is scheduled to play against Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic for a place in the last eight.
Medvedev’s challenging exit
In contrast to Sabalenka’s smooth progression, Daniil Medvedev, the fourth seed, was eliminated from the tournament after a contentious match against Brandon Nakashima. Medvedev had initially recovered from a 5-2 deficit in the first set to win it in a tie-break. He then had three match points on Nakashima’s serve at 5-4 in the second set.
However, Nakashima managed to save these match points and subsequently won the second set in a tie-break. He then dominated the third set, winning the match 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1. Following the missed match points, Medvedev’s frustration became evident as he threw his racquet at the electronic boards, causing some damage, and also kicked the screen, knocking over several microphones. He accumulated 51 unforced errors during his match.
Nakashima commented on his resilience, stating that he focused on fighting for every point when facing match points. He expressed satisfaction with his performance in the third set. This outcome marks a significant moment for Nakashima in the tournament.
Other notable advancements
Beyond Sabalenka’s and Medvedev’s matches, other players also advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 Cincinnati Open. Among them are Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff, who both secured straight-set victories. Andreeva, the fifth seed, overcame Janice Tjen, the 32nd seed, with a score of 6-1, 7-6(5) in a match lasting 1 hour and 42 minutes.
This marks Andreeva’s first consecutive match wins since her Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June. She will next compete against Marta Kostyuk, whom she has faced three times this year, with Kostyuk leading their head-to-head 2-1, although Andreeva won their most recent encounter in the Roland Garros semifinals. Coco Gauff, the fourth seed and 2023 champion, also progressed to the fourth round after defeating fellow American Ann Li 6-1, 7-6 (3). This is Gauff’s 36th career WTA 1000 fourth-round appearance, with six of those occurring this season. She is set to face Marie Bouzkova in her next match.
Source: bbc.com
