World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is set for a quarterfinal showdown with Elena Rybakina at the Cincinnati Open after both players navigated challenging fourth-round matches on Wednesday night.
Sabalenka, the defending champion, secured her spot with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The win, achieved in one hour and 20 minutes, came just two nights after a grueling three-hour battle against Emma Raducanu. After a dominant first set, Sabalenka faced a stern test in the second. Bouzas Maneiro rallied from a 4-2 deficit to take a 5-4 lead and came within two points of forcing a decider before Sabalenka regained control to close out the match.
“Jessica is a great player,” Sabalenka said. “She didn’t start well, but then she found her rhythm and it was a really tough battle. I’m super happy to get this win in straight sets.”
The victory marked Sabalenka’s 50th win on the WTA Tour in 2025, making her the first player to reach the milestone this year and the third consecutive season she has done so. She also becomes the first player since Simona Halep (2013-2018) to reach at least four consecutive quarterfinals in Cincinnati.
Earlier, Rybakina prevailed in a Top 10 clash against Madison Keys, fighting back for a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 win. The victory was a reversal of their Australian Open encounter earlier this year, which Keys won in three sets. In securing the win, Rybakina became just the second Top 10 player since 1990 to record three comeback victories en route to a WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
The upcoming quarterfinal will be another chapter in the compelling rivalry between Sabalenka and Rybakina. Sabalenka currently leads their head-to-head series 7-4, having won their most recent meeting in a tight three-set match in Berlin. However, Rybakina may find encouragement in a peculiar trend: in their last six encounters, neither player has managed to win two consecutive matches.
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