LONDON – World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday, while men’s top seed Jannik Sinner beat Adrian Mannarino following a lengthy rain delay.
Fresh off a thrilling third-round battle with Emma Raducanu, women’s reigning champion Sabalenka had an easier ride against the Spaniard Bouzas Maneiro, earning her tour-leading 50th win in one hour and 20 minutes.
“I was up a break, made a couple of mistakes and she broke me back,” Sabalenka said. “I’m glad to win in straight sets. I didn’t want to stay for three hours.”
The Belarusian will next meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in a final-worthy showdown, as the ninth-seeded Kazakh rallied from a set down to beat Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-7(3) 6-4 6-2.
Earlier, six-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek reached the quarters with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Sorana Cirstea, with the third-seeded Pole extending her perfect record against the Romanian to 5-0.
“We played many tough matches, so I know Sorana can really hit the ball well, especially on faster surfaces,” Swiatek said. “Not many of my first serves went in, but I was happy I was solid on my second serves.”
Fellow Pole Magda Linette secured her second top-10 win of the season by upsetting American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 7-6 (5) 3-6 6-3 in a third-round match that extended over two days after Tuesday’s suspension due to rain.
SINNER, ALCARAZ THROUGH
In the men’s draw, defending champion Sinner kept his title defence on track, beating Frenchman Mannarino 6-4 7-6(4) after an almost three-hour rain interruption.
The Italian four-times Grand Slam champion struggled to find his rhythm, failing to serve out at 6-5 but sealing the tiebreak with back-to-back aces for his 24th consecutive hard-court victory.
“He is a very tough opponent. Very different from other opponents, not only because he is a lefty but how he hits the ball. It’s very low,” Sinner said. “I just tried to serve well and tried to see what I could do in the return games.”
Sinner will face Canadian 23rd seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fifth quarter-final this year.
Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz booked his 18th Masters 1000 quarter-final by beating Italian Luca Nardi 6-1 6-4. The five-times major winner, into the last eight in Cincinnati for the third time, has now won 36 of his last 38 matches.
“This match was the best so far for me in this tournament,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved. I got used to the conditions, the humidity and heat. I’m happy to get through.”
Alcaraz will next face Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, who beat Argentine Francisco Comesana 6-2 6-3.
Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton, whose match was also halted after the first set, progressed to the last 16 with a 7-6(3) 6-3 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. The American fifth seed will face Czech Jiri Lehecka.
German third seed Alexander Zverev, who completed a 6-4 6-4 win over American Brandon Nakashima after the match was suspended overnight when he was leading 5-4 in the second set, progressed to the quarters after Russian Karen Khachanov was forced to retire due to injury while trailing 7-5 3-0.
French qualifier Terence Atmane earned the biggest win of his career by stunning American fourth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6 7-5 6-3, earning his first Masters 1000 quarter-final berth.
Atmane will meet Danish seventh seed Holger Rune, who advanced after American 10th seed Frances Tiafoe retired due to a back injury.
