Sabalenka, Gauff and fritz storm into Cincinnati last 16

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday, cruising past China’s Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 to book her place in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Sabalenka needed just 20 minutes to wrap up the opening set against the world No. 36 and immediately continued her dominance by breaking serve at the start of the second.

The top seed maintained the pressure throughout the remainder of the contest, with Wang eventually double-faulting on Sabalenka’s first match point after just 54 minutes.

The victory extended Sabalenka’s remarkable winning streak at the WTA Masters 1000 level to 45 matches.

“I cannot complain. She’s a tough opponent,” Sabalenka said. “To win in straight sets like this in under an hour is insane.”

“I’m super happy to be through. I really trusted myself and went for my shots. I wasn’t over-thinking. I was able to stay focused and be in every point.”

Sabalenka will face Czech teenager Sara Bejlek in the next round after the 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 comeback victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Gauff Battles Through

Fourth seed Coco Gauff also secured her place in the last 16, although the 2023 champion was forced to work harder after a dominant opening set against fellow American Ann Li.

Gauff won 6-1, 7-6(3), taking control of the opening set in just 30 minutes before a much tighter second set.

The two Americans exchanged early breaks before the set eventually went to a tie-break. Gauff raced into a 4-1 lead and sealed the victory on her third match point.

“She played better in the second set and I missed a couple of break opportunities,” Gauff said. “I tried to forget about those.”

She added that challenging conditions made the match difficult for both players.

“It was hard to control the ball for both of us and it was my first time playing a day match on this center court so I had to adjust to that.”

Andreeva Survives Tjen Test

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva also advanced, but the fifth seed had to survive a serious challenge from Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.

Andreeva raced through the opening set 6-1, but Tjen fought back strongly before eventually losing the second set 7-6(5).

The Indonesian saved two match points when Andreeva served for the match at 5-4 and another in the tie-break before finally sending a return wide

“It was two completely different sets,” Andreeva said.

“In the first I was in command and she had unforced errors here and there. But in the second after a couple of games I started getting nervous, she made fewer mistakes.”

Andreeva said the contest ultimately became a test of both mentality and physical strength.

Keys Advances as Svitolina Withdraws

Former champion Madison Keys also moved into the next round after defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-3.

The victory improved Keys’ record against the Czech player to 3-0.

Meanwhile, eighth seed Elina Svitolina withdrew from her scheduled match against Wang Xiyu because of an ankle injury.

“I’ve been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely,” the Ukrainian said.

Auger-Aliassime and Fritz Progress

Second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in 90 minutes.

The Canadian admitted he needed time to find his rhythm against the left-handed Argentine.

“It was a tricky start, finding my rhythm. Lefties are tricky, you don’t play them so often.”

Meanwhile, fifth seed Taylor Fritz produced another impressive performance, defeating Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-4.

The match was briefly interrupted for around 12 minutes because of a health emergency in the stands, but Fritz remained composed and completed the victory in 83 minutes.

He hit eight aces while Merida committed 25 unforced errors.

Fritz will now face Australia’s Chris O’Connell, against whom he holds a perfect 3-0 record without dropping a set.

“I’ll try to do what I always do, try to be aggressive on my serve,” Fritz said. “That’s always the best strategy.”

Musetti Advances as Borges Stuns Rublev

Italian 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti comfortably defeated American Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes.

The biggest upset of the day came from Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who defeated 2021 runner-up Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4 in just 72 minutes.

The victory ended Borges’ five-match losing streak against Rublev and secured his place in the fourth round.

It was also a significant setback for Rublev, who is set to fall outside the ATP top 20 for the first time since January 2020.

“I played amazing,” Borges said. “It means a lot to be in the fourth round. It’s a big moment for me.”

With Sabalenka, Gauff, Andreeva, Keys, Auger-Aliassime and Fritz all advancing, the Cincinnati tournament continues to deliver high-quality action as the remaining contenders battle for a place in the quarter-finals.