Showing posts with label Cincinnati Open. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cincinnati Open. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Monday, 24 August 2026
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Saturday, 22 August 2026
Friday, 21 August 2026
Thursday, 20 August 2026
ARYNA SABALENKA SUFFERS WORRYING COLLAPSE TO SET OFF ALARM BELLS AHEAD OF US OPEN
Aryna Sabalenka has suffered another shock early exit.
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| Aryna Sabalenka lost the last five games to bow out of the Cincinnati Open (Image: Getty) |
Aryna Sabalenka suffered another concerning loss in the lead-up to the US Open, this time bowing out in the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian’s No. 1 ranking is once again under threat, and she has won just four matches during the North American hard-court swing so far.
Sabalenka led unseeded Sara Bejlek 5-1 in the first set tiebreak before losing it 9-7, and then moved 4-1 up in the second set. But she dropped the last five games, suffering a 7-6(7) 6-4 defeat. This is the world No. 1’s worst result at the Cincinnati Open since 2021, and she also exited the recent Canadian Open at the same stage.
The 28-year-old started the season on a high, winning the title in Brisbane, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open, and then completing the ‘Sunshine Double’ by winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. But Sabalenka has not even reached a final since then, and has failed to go beyond the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event.
Bejlek, the world No. 35, had never beaten a top-10 player before, let alone the world No. 1. But she twice came back from a break down in the opening set, and then reeled off five games in a row to claim a straight-set victory over four-time Major winner Sabalenka.
“I lost my words right now. Yeah, it feels incredible. I’m super happy. Yeah, I don’t have any words!” the 20-year-old Czech star told the crowd. “I just was playing what I was feeling, I wasn’t really thinking. What I felt, I play, and that was the key. I was trying to not be nervous and just play, and that’s it.”
Bejlek now faces former Aussie Open champ Madison Keys, and has taken “a lot” of confidence from her statement win. “I just keep believing this match and I was believing no matter what. It was a lot of ups and downs, and I just made it, so I’m very happy,” she added.
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| Sara Bejlek stunned Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals (Image: Getty) |
For Sabalenka, it raises serious alarm bells about her form heading into her US Open title defence, while she could lose her No. 1 ranking as early as next week. The Belarusian’s fourth-round exit means that current world No. 2 Elena Rybakina is two wins away from surpassing Sabalenka in the rankings.
Rybakina faces Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals – a rematch of last week’s Canadian Open final, won by Swiatek. Should she win, Rybakina would then have to beat either Amanda Anisimova or Madison Keys to become world No. 1 for the first time.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, is set to compete in the US Open mixed doubles event alongside Novak Djokovic before the singles draw gets underway. This is the first time since 2020 that Sabalenka will go into the US Open without having reached at least the quarter-finals of either WTA 1000 event in Canada or Cincinnati.
The 28-year-old has yet to win a Grand Slam title this season, and this could be her first year going without a Slam since 2022 – before she had won a single Major.
- Yasmin Syed
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Monday, 27 July 2026
Thursday, 7 August 2025
'I WAS IN MY BIKINI AND FLIP FLOPS' - ARYNA SABALENKA OPENS UP ABOUT REJUVENATING HERSELF WITH 'AMAZING' BREAK AHEAD CINCINNATI OPEN
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| The Belarusian tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka - Source: Getty |
Aryna Sabalenka recently made her feelings known about having a refreshing time during her vacation ahead of her appearance at the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian is now gearing up for the upcoming hardcourt swing.
Sabalenka was last seen in action during Wimbledon, where she produced some dominant performances to reach the semi-final round. Here, she locked horns with Amanda Anisimova, who claimed an impressive 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over the World No. 1. Following this heartbreaking upset, the latter decided to take some time off the court and took the first week of August off, opting out of the Citi Open and the Canadian Open.
The Belarusian player went on a vacation to Miami, Florida, to rejuvenate herself ahead of the remaining 2025 season. She also shared glimpses of her vacation on social media and is now ready to make her comeback to the court and compete at the Cincinnati Open. In a recent press conference, she opened up about how refreshing the outing was for her ahead of the tournament.
"I didn't even go to the gym, I have to say. I did one workout, 30 minutes, incline walking, I was in my bikini and flip flops just so you know how professional I was. But I did it, just in case because you know the food was really good. I just wanted to make sure I have some space in there. But it wasn't much actually. It was like a week, 7 or 8 days, but it was amazing days, you know, I felt so good and much needed and now I'm fresh and ready," said Aryna Sabalenka.
Along with Wimbledon, the 27-year-old has suffered multiple heartbreaking losses in majors this year, including the Australian Open final and the French Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka made her feelings known about her loss at the Wimbledon Championships
Aryna Sabalenka's semi-final upset against Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon was her third consecutive semi-final finish at the tournament. Reflecting on this upset, she shed light on her performance and revealed how she doesn't like losing. Expressing her frustration, she said that losing after coming close makes her not want to 'exist anymore' and it feels like the end. (as quoted by the Guardian.com)
Monday, 19 August 2024
JANNIK SINNER REACHES CINCINNATI FINAL; IGA SWIATEK OUSTED
MASON, Ohio -- Top-ranked Jannik Sinner outlasted Alexander Zverev in a third-set tiebreaker Sunday to reach the Cincinnati Open final, while No. 1 Iga Swiatek fell to No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the women's semifinals.
In the final Monday, Sinner will play American Frances Tiafoe, and Sabalenka will meet American Jessica Pegula.
Sinner emerged with a 7-6 (9), 5-7, 7-6 (4) victory after 3 hours, 7 minutes, tying Casper Ruud for the ATP Tour lead by reaching his fifth final of the season. In the late match, Tiafoe rallied to beat 15th-seeded Holger Rune 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Sinner leads the tour with four titles this season.
The first set against Zverev lasted more than an hour and the match also was suspended for 30 minutes by rain.
Zverev, the No. 4 seed, had won four straight meetings against Sinner. Sinner finished with a 124-121 edge in total points.
"I think we both raised our level when it counted," Sinner said. "The tiebreaker can go both ways. I just tried to stay there mentally. Obviously, I'm happy to be in the final."
Sinner, who's been dealing with a right hip issue, was seen grabbing that area early in Sunday's match but said he came through fine physically.
"Sometimes I feel it," Sinner said. "I have to check after this tournament here. I haven't had too much time to recover before coming here. I'm not worried yet. I'm happy to play."
Sabalenka reached the final in Cincinnati for the first time with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Swiatek, ending the five-time Grand Slam winner's 15-match winning streak and avenging losses in the finals in Madrid and Rome.
"Really happy with the win, especially against Iga, who is always a tough battle," Sabalenka said. "To get the win in straight sets, that's kind of an achievement for me."
Swiatek, who's been on top of the WTA rankings for 116 weeks, was satisfied with her week in Cincinnati.
"I pretty much did better than I expected, honestly, especially on this surface," Swiatek said. "I'm happy with the result anyway, and already focusing on what I need to do to feel even better in New York."
The US Open begins Aug. 26. Swiatek won the title in 2022.
Pegula, the No. 6 seed, beat Paula Badosa 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 after their semifinal was suspended more than an hour by rain.
She is the third American to reach the finals in Canada -- where she successfully defended her title last Monday -- and Cincinnati in a calendar year, the first since Serena Williams in 2013.
"We've had a lot of great battles in the past," Sabalenka said. "She's a great player. Going to be another great match."
- Associated Press
Sunday, 18 August 2024
Saturday, 17 August 2024
FRUSTRATED CARLOS ALCARAZ FAILS TO GAEL MONFILS IN CINCINNATI
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| Carlos Alcaraz repeatedly smashed his racket on the court in a rare show of frustration. "Today, I couldn't [control those feelings]. I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. ... At some point, I didn't want to be on the court anymore." Susan Mullane/USA TODAY Sports |
CINCINNATI -- Carlos Alcaraz repeatedly smashed his racket on the court in a rare show of frustration on Friday, and the four-time Grand Slam winner fell to Gael Monfils 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 at the Cincinnati Open.
In a match that was suspended by rain on Thursday night with the players in a second-set tiebreaker, the 37-year-old Monfils advanced by taking the last two sets from the second-seeded Alcaraz, who called the loss his "worst match."
"I felt like it was the worst match that I've ever played in my career," Alcaraz said. "I've been practicing really well. I was feeling great. But I couldn't play. I want to forget it and try to move on to New York."
The US Open begins there on Aug. 26.
Trailing 3-1 in the tiebreaker when the match was halted, Alcaraz was hoping for a reset when play resumed Friday. But the No. 3 player in the ATP rankings couldn't control his emotions.
"It never happened before, because I could control those feelings," Alcaraz said. "Today, I couldn't. I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. It was really frustrating for me. At some point, I didn't want to be on the court anymore."
Alcaraz was playing his first match since earning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics after losing to Novak Djokovic, who also beat him last year in the Cincinnati final.
Monfils returned to the court later Friday and lost to No. 15 seed Holger Rune 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
"It was a big win for me against Carlos, unexpected to be honest," Monfils said. "To play again in a couple hours against [another] good and younger player, I knew it would be tough."
In women's action, top-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over Marta Kostyuk.
Swiatek bounced back with a more complete performance after losing a second-set tiebreak on Wednesday before outlasting France's Varvara Gracheva.
"Today, I just kept my intensity at a high level all the time," Swiatek said. "It didn't really matter to me what the score was, I just wanted to continue playing my game. I focused on myself."
No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka also advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Elina Svitolina, but No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon, lost to Mirra Andreeva 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova upset No. 7 and Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng 7-5, 6-1. Spaniard Paula Badosa defeated Yulia Putintseva, who upset Coco Gauff on Thursday, 6-4, 6-4.
Top men to advance included No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who got a walkover against Jordan Thompson on his 23rd birthday, No. 3 Alexander Zverev, No. 5 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 6 Andrey Rublev and 12th-ranked American Ben Shelton.
- Associated Press
Thursday, 15 August 2024
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