Cincinnati, Aug 14
World no.1 Aryna Sabalenka and no. 3 seed Iga Swiatek advanced to Cincinnati Open quarterfinal here on Thursday (IST).
Defending champion Sabalenka beat Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 7-5. This was her 50th win of the season.
She will face former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2.
Swiatek advanced to her third straight Cincinnati Open quarterfinal with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat over Sorana Cirstea in 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Swiatek made a lightning-fast start to the match, hammering three clean winners en route to an immediate break -- a lead she maintained for the whole of the first set.
A pair of double faults from Cirstea handed the Pole an immediate lead in the second set as well, but Swiatek repaid the favor with two of her own in the subsequent game, WTA reports.