Sabalenka Squeezes Out Win on 6th Match Point in Cincinnati

World number one Aryna Sabalenka battled through a challenging match to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Masters, ultimately defeating Talia Gibson on her sixth match point. The Belarusian player secured a 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) victory in a match played under difficult, windy conditions. Gibson mounted a strong challenge, saving five match points in the second set before Sabalenka clinched the win in the tiebreaker. "I'm super tired, this is crazy weather," Sabalenka commented after the match. "Talia played great tennis and was more aggressive in the second set. She put more pressure on my service games. I'm glad I stayed calm and pulled it out in straight sets." Sabalenka, the 2024 Cincinnati champion, is aiming for a strong performance to build momentum for the US Open, where she seeks her first Grand Slam title of the year. She has won three titles in 2026 but none since March. Meanwhile, Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva also advanced convincingly. Rybakina defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4, while Andreeva dominated Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-0. American hope Coco Gauff, the fourth seed, had a tougher outing, coming back from a set down to beat Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. In a surprising upset, American Ben Shelton, ranked sixth, was defeated by Portugal's Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-4. Seventh seed Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, also advanced with a decisive 6-3, 6-0 win over Emiliana Arango.

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I'm super tired, this is crazy weather. Talia played great tennis and was more aggressive in the second set. She put more pressure on my service games. I'm glad I stayed calm and pulled it out in straight sets.