-World primary Aryna Sabalenka saved her Cincinnati Open title defence alive by claiming a 7-6 4-6 7-6 victory over Emma Raducanu in a marathon third-round conflict on Monday, whereas Taylor Fritz superior with a straight-sets win over Lorenzo Sonego.
Contemporary off their third-round conflict at Wimbledon final month, Sabalenka and Raducanu produced one other epic contest, that includes a 13-deuce recreation within the third set, earlier than the Belarusian sealed victory in three hours and 9 minutes.
Sabalenka relied on her trademark highly effective serve to carry agency in the important thing moments, profitable two tiebreaks to take her tally to 18 for the season, essentially the most by any ladies’s singles participant within the skilled period.
Regardless of the defeat, Raducanu appears to be discovering her greatest type simply in time for this month’s U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, the place she triumphed in 2021. The Briton outscored Sabalenka in complete factors received, 125–123.
“I am actually joyful to see her wholesome. I can see she’s enhancing,” Sabalenka stated of Raducanu.
“Glad to get by this match. I actually hope tomorrow I’ve a time off.”
Sabalenka subsequent faces Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro within the final 16.
Elsewhere, Anna Kalinskaya shocked American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova 7-5 6-4 for her third win in opposition to a High 10 opponent within the season. She’s going to face fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova within the subsequent spherical.
After a one-hour delay brought on by an influence outage, fourth seed Taylor Fritz defeated Italy’s Sonego 7-6 7-5.
The 27-year-old American didn’t face a break level and capitalised on his lone break alternative earlier than serving out the match, sealing the win in two hours and eight minutes.
Former champion Madison Keys booked her place within the final 16 with a 6-4 6-0 win over Japan’s Aoi Ito, edging a decent first set earlier than storming by the second in simply 20 minutes.
“Within the first set I bought off to a reasonably good lead after which sort of misplaced my means a bit,” sixth seed Keys stated. “As soon as I bought a break early within the second I wished to run away with it and hold that momentum and I did.”
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