Rybakina Shocks Sabalenka in Cincinnati; Alcaraz Advances to Semis

Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, was defeated 6-1, 6-4 by Elena Rybakina on Friday. Rybakina’s exceptional serving led her to her first Cincinnati Open semi-final.

The Kazakh ninth seed impressed with her performance, securing her seventh career win over a top-ranked player. She will face Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a match of Wimbledon champions.

Rybakina hit 11 aces, won 81% of points on her first serve, and saved all five break points, marking her fifth win over Sabalenka in 12 encounters.

“I’m happy with my serve. It was crucial,” former world number three Rybakina remarked. “We’re both big hitters. Today, I served well. If Aryna serves well, it’s a completely different match. I hope to keep this up.”

Earlier, third seed Swiatek reached her first WTA 1000 semi-final in 15 months, overcoming Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4.

Kalinskaya, who had previously beaten Swiatek, fought back by saving four match points. However, Swiatek converted her fifth chance on serve to win the match.

“I just played my game,” Swiatek noted. “It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I maintained intensity and pressure.”

Veronika Kudermetova defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-2, advancing to her first Cincinnati semi-final. The Russian aims to regain her Top 10 form, marking her first WTA 1000 semi-final since 2023.

She will next compete against either second seed Coco Gauff or seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini in the semis.

In the men’s bracket, second seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tough three-set match against Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the semi-finals.

The Spaniard wasn’t at his best, with 15 unforced errors and three double faults in the final set, but he seized his lone match point after a Rublev double fault to secure his 15th consecutive Masters 1000 victory.

“Against someone like Andrey, losing focus even briefly can cost you a set or match. I stayed strong mentally, which I’m most proud of,” Alcaraz expressed.

“I embraced the situation, understanding that a third set would be a real challenge, and I thrive on that,” he added, setting up a match against either third seed Alex Zverev or American fifth seed Ben Shelton.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, having won 37 of his past 39 matches, advanced to his 12th Masters 1000 semi-final, matching Italian top seed Jannik Sinner, who is set to play Frenchman Terence Atmane in the other semi-final clash.

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