Aryna Sabalenka advances in Cincinnati as Daniil Medvedev suffers shock exit
World number one Aryna Sabalenka stormed into the Cincinnati Open fourth round in just 54 minutes, while fourth seed Daniil Medvedev lost his cool during a shock defeat.
The Belarusian top seed did not face a single break point during her emphatic 6-1 6-3 victory over China’s Wang Xinyu.
She dropped just six points across eight service games and fired 17 winners during a flawless performance on the hard courts.
It represents her most comfortable victory in recent weeks following an early exit in Canada and a fourth-round departure at Wimbledon.
“To get this win in under an hour is an insane result and I’m so happy to be through,” the 28-year-old said.
“I think I really trusted myself and I was going for my shots without overthinking.”
Ranking battle and major preparations
The world number one will now face Czech player Sara Bejlek for a coveted spot in the quarter-finals.
Her commanding form arrives at a crucial time as she prepares to defend her title at the upcoming US Open.
However, her position at the summit of the women’s game remains under intense pressure from Elena Rybakina.
The Australian Open champion must reach the Cincinnati final to maintain any hope of surpassing her rival in the global standings.
Medvedev unravels after missed chances
In the men’s draw, Daniil Medvedev failed to capitalise on a commanding position against American Brandon Nakashima.
The Russian fourth seed squandered three vital match points at 5-4 in the second set before completely unravelling.
Nakashima survived the late onslaught to snatch the tie-break before dominating the deciding set to seal a shock 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 triumph.
Frustrations quickly boiled over for the defeated star, who aggressively hurled his racquet at the electronic advertising boards.
He proceeded to kick a courtside screen and knocked over several broadcast microphones to compound a dismal display featuring 51 unforced errors.
“Down match points, I was just trying to tell myself to keep fighting for every point,” Nakashima said.
“I’m super happy with the level in the third.”