Elena Rybakina routs Aryna Sabalenka, reaches Cincinnati semis
Ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina delivered 11 aces and dominated the match while recording a 6-1, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka on Friday afternoon to reach the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
Rybakina needed just 74 minutes to dispatch Sabalenka, the event's defending champion.
The tournament's second seed also fell on Friday as Coco Gauff lost to seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Paolini advances to face Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who routed France's Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-2.
Rybakina will next face third-seeded Iga Swiatek, who notched a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya.
Swiatek holds a 5-4 edge in matches against Rybakina.
"She's a great player," Rybakina said of the Polish star. "Of course, it's going to be a difficult match. I will try to focus on myself and try to recover as well. Hopefully I can show good tennis."
Rybakina of Kazakhstan converted 3 of 5 break points while Sabalenka was 0 of 5 in that category. Rybakina also won 80.6 percent (29 of 36) of her first-serve points.
Sabalenka of Belarus had four aces and won 65.2 percent (15 of 23) of her first-serve points.
Rybakina won the final five games of the first set. In the second, Sabalenka moved within one game before Rybakina didn't lose a point while serving for the match.
"I'm happy with the serve," Rybakina said. "It was the key. We're both big hitters. Today I served really well."
Swiatek won 82.8 percent of her first-serve points while soaring past Kalinskaya, the No. 28 seed.
Swiatek had lost her lone previous meeting against Kalinskaya, falling in straight sets in the Dubai semifinals in 2024.
"For sure, the match was much different (this time)," Swiatek said. "I'm really happy that I was proactive from the very beginning, I could play my game.
"It wasn't easy, so I'm happy that I was solid and that I had enough intensity to put on the pressure."
Swiatek jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set en route to finishing it off. In the second set, Kalinskaya led 3-2 before Swiatek controlled the next three games.
What followed was an epic game as Kalikskaya saved four match points before winning the game to stay alive. Swiatek then served for the match and sealed the victory.
"I just played my game," Swiatek said. "It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity."
Kalinskaya had five aces but also double-faulted five times. Swiatek had two aces and three double faults.
Paolini took advantage of shaky serving from Gauff, who committed 16 double faults and had just two aces. The Italian had no aces and two double faults. Gauff won just 11 of her 39 second-serve points (28 percent), and each player lost seven service games.
Kudermetova holds a 3-1 lifetime edge against Paolini. Their most recent matchup came in the first round at Cincinnati in 2021, when Kudermetova prevailed 6-3, 6-2.
--Field Level Media/Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
17 hours ago
- GMA Network
Carlos Alcaraz survives rough third set to reach Cincinnati Open semis
In the third and final set of his Cincinnati Open quarterfinal match against Andrey Rublev on Friday afternoon, Carlos Alcaraz committed 15 unforced errors and authored three double faults. And, yet, the second-seeded Spaniard found a way to claim a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory over the ninth-seeded Russian in Mason, Ohio. "I maintained positive thoughts all the time, even though I lost focus a few times during the second set," Alcaraz said. "Playing someone like Andrey, when you lose focus on two or three points, it (can) cost you the set or almost the match. I just stayed strong mentally and that's what I'm most proud of." Alcaraz squandered a 5-3 lead in the third set, but then he held his serve and then broke Rublev for the fourth time to set up Saturday's semifinal against No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany. Alcarez prevailed, in part, because Rublev made even more miscues in the third set. He racked up five double faults and 17 unforced errors in the third after committing just three double faults and 17 unforced errors in the first two sets combined. That included a double fault on match point that had Alcaraz pumping his fist over his 15th straight victory in an ATP Masters 1000 event. "It's just (about) accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, accepting that it's going to be a really tough battle, and I love that," Alcaraz said. "It was extreme conditions, but I just love playing in front of this energy. I am just really happy to live these kinds of experiences, so I just remind myself of that in these moments." Zverev maintained his dominance of Shelton, moving to 4-0 against the fast-rising American since their first meeting in Cincinnati last summer with a surprisingly routine 6-2, 6-2 triumph. Shelton seemed to be in control early, leading 40-0 in the third game of the first set. But Zverev took advantage of four consecutive errors, and when a Shelton volley went wide, he had the break he needed. Zverev would earn another break in the fifth game and cruise to the first-set victory. The same pattern repeated itself in the second set, as Shelton was broken in games 3 and 5 and watched his nine-match winning streak come to a screeching halt in only 1 hour, 17 minutes. Zverev only made 13 unforced errors in the match and won 15 of Shelton's 19 second-serve points. Zverev's biggest concern of the night was his own health. He called for the doctor at 2-1 in the second set as he appeared to be struggling with this breathing. "Right now I'm not feeling too great... I'm not sure what happened," the 2021 Cincinnati champion said. "I came out today and probably felt the best I've felt in a few months. Was feeling the ball incredibly well from both sides. In the first set I started feeling not so great and it got progressively worse. But I'm in the semi-finals and I'll do everything I can (to) be 100 percent tomorrow." Zverev leads Alcaraz, 6-5, in the all-time series and they have split outdoor, hard-court matches, 2-2. The two have not faced off since November 2024. --Field Level Media/Reuters
GMA Network
17 hours ago
- GMA Network
New gene tests system in disarray ahead of world championships
MANCHESTER, England - Female Canadian athletes have been told that gene tests they recently underwent do not comply with World Athletics' requirements, leaving them scrambling to complete new tests before the September 1 deadline for the world championships. French athletes are also seeking meets and camps outside their country to complete the one-off tests after the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports ruled them illegal in France. Athletics Canada commissioned Dynacare to conduct SRY gene tests, which help to determine biological sex, at the recent national championships. However, an email sent this week to athletes and seen by Reuters said Dynacare "has advised us that the test kits they provided were not of the required standard". Athletics Canada CEO Mathieu Gentes told Reuters on Friday that the federation is "doing everything within its power in the interest of athletes to ensure that we meet World Athletics' September 1st deadline for completion of the test. "It's a rapidly evolving situation which we're dealing with in real time," Gentes said. "We are working on solutions to assist athletes in locations around the world." The problem with the tests, Dynacare said in a statement, was that they were provided with saliva samples "but identified that blood samples were required for testing – not saliva – and immediately recommended blood collection to meet the correct standards. "Athletics Canada agreed and ordered the correct blood samples. Dynacare has prioritized these blood samples, so athletes can be cleared to compete." The French Athletics Federation had planned to test athletes at the national championships but was told "such tests are prohibited under the French Bioethics Law enacted in 1994", the federation said in a statement to Reuters. "As a result, ultimately, no action was carried out. "The federation is confident in World Athletics' ability to quickly find a solution and to ensure that French athletes can take part in international competitions under the best possible conditions." World Athletics is working with the French federation to help athletes obtain tests at other meets or at their pre-worlds training camp outside France, said Jackie Brock-Doyle, director of special projects for the sport's governing body. Brock-Doyle also said World Athletics is working with federations from Poland, Belgium and Switzerland to help facilitate testing for athletes competing at the four remaining Diamond League meetings hosted by those countries. TEST APPROVED World Athletics approved the introduction of a test to determine if an athlete is biologically female at their council meeting in March. The federations "all knew in March that we were going to introduce the SRY test", Brock-Doyle told Reuters. "We were asked during the press conference, 'Would we be bringing it in for the world championships?' And we said at the time, 'Yes, that is our intention.'" When pressed for details about the test at the March press conference, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "The process is very straightforward, frankly very clear and it's an important one. And we will look for a testing provider, we will work on the timelines." World Athletics then announced details of the SRY test on July 31. "It's really important in a sport that's permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling," Coe said in a statement at the time. "The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case." Brock-Doyle said World Athletics was not worried that female athletes would miss the September 13-21 worlds in Tokyo due to a failure to secure a test by the deadline. Brock-Doyle, who estimated that 40% to 50% of athletes have been tested, said those who have completed the test but are still awaiting the result past the deadline can compete in Japan. "Not every single result may come through, because some countries it may take two, three weeks," she added. An adverse result - and potentially that athlete's performance at the worlds - would be investigated afterwards. Brock-Doyle also disagreed with criticism that the genetic testing regulations were pushed through too quickly. "Would it have been better if we'd had a little bit more time? Maybe," she said. "But the reason we've chosen the world championships is that it's probably around 80-plus percent of all our elite (female) athletes there." —Reuters
GMA Network
18 hours ago
- GMA Network
Elena Rybakina routs Aryna Sabalenka, reaches Cincinnati semis
Aug 15, 2025; Elena Rybakina (KAZ) returns a shot against Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. (Photo: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/REUTERS) Ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina delivered 11 aces and dominated the match while recording a 6-1, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka on Friday afternoon to reach the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio. Rybakina needed just 74 minutes to dispatch Sabalenka, the event's defending champion. The tournament's second seed also fell on Friday as Coco Gauff lost to seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Paolini advances to face Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who routed France's Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-2. Rybakina will next face third-seeded Iga Swiatek, who notched a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya. Swiatek holds a 5-4 edge in matches against Rybakina. "She's a great player," Rybakina said of the Polish star. "Of course, it's going to be a difficult match. I will try to focus on myself and try to recover as well. Hopefully I can show good tennis." Rybakina of Kazakhstan converted 3 of 5 break points while Sabalenka was 0 of 5 in that category. Rybakina also won 80.6 percent (29 of 36) of her first-serve points. Sabalenka of Belarus had four aces and won 65.2 percent (15 of 23) of her first-serve points. Rybakina won the final five games of the first set. In the second, Sabalenka moved within one game before Rybakina didn't lose a point while serving for the match. "I'm happy with the serve," Rybakina said. "It was the key. We're both big hitters. Today I served really well." Swiatek won 82.8 percent of her first-serve points while soaring past Kalinskaya, the No. 28 seed. Swiatek had lost her lone previous meeting against Kalinskaya, falling in straight sets in the Dubai semifinals in 2024. "For sure, the match was much different (this time)," Swiatek said. "I'm really happy that I was proactive from the very beginning, I could play my game. "It wasn't easy, so I'm happy that I was solid and that I had enough intensity to put on the pressure." Swiatek jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set en route to finishing it off. In the second set, Kalinskaya led 3-2 before Swiatek controlled the next three games. What followed was an epic game as Kalikskaya saved four match points before winning the game to stay alive. Swiatek then served for the match and sealed the victory. "I just played my game," Swiatek said. "It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity." Kalinskaya had five aces but also double-faulted five times. Swiatek had two aces and three double faults. Paolini took advantage of shaky serving from Gauff, who committed 16 double faults and had just two aces. The Italian had no aces and two double faults. Gauff won just 11 of her 39 second-serve points (28 percent), and each player lost seven service games. Kudermetova holds a 3-1 lifetime edge against Paolini. Their most recent matchup came in the first round at Cincinnati in 2021, when Kudermetova prevailed 6-3, 6-2. --Field Level Media/Reuters
