World no.1 Aryna Sabalenka kept her Cincinnati Open title defense alive with a dramatic 7-6(7-3) 4-6 7-6(7-5) victory over Emma Raducanu in a third-round epic that lasted three hours and nine minutes. The Belarusian’s booming serve proved the difference in crunch moments, sealing two tiebreaks to extend her season tally to 18 — the highest by any woman in the professional era.
Although Raducanu outscored Sabalenka in total points, 125-123, the Brit’s narrow loss still signals a resurgence ahead of the U.S. Open, where she triumphed in 2021. Sabalenka now faces Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the last 16.
Jannik Sinner vs Gabriel Diallo
Men’s top seed Jannik Sinner powered past Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-2 7-6(8-6) in a match delayed by a fire alarm. The defending champion, now on a 23-match hardcourt winning streak, admitted it was “a difficult day at the office” as Diallo’s serve forced constant adjustments.
Next, Sinner’s next opponent will be Adrian Mannarino, with his sights set on maintaining momentum before the U.S. Open.
“Today was a very difficult day in the office” 😅
Jannik Sinner is happy to get past Gabriel Diallo to reach the round of 16 in Cincinnati.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/O2pogpwZo0
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 12, 2025
Taylor Fritz vs Lorenzo Sonego
Taylor Fritz, the fourth seed, overcame Italian Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(4) 7-5 after a one-hour power outage delayed proceedings. The American didn’t face a single break point, converting his lone opportunity to clinch the win in two hours and eight minutes.
His clinical serving kept Sonego guessing, much like a chess player forcing an opponent into checkmate in minimal moves.
Taylor powers through to the round of 16 😉
Fritz sends off Sonego, becoming the first man to reach R4 at all four ATP 1000 hard-court events this year.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/ly5wbYYgDD
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 11, 2025
[TRENDING] Keys Cruises, Kalinskaya Stuns Anisimova
Former champion Madison Keys outplayed Japan’s Aoi Ito 6-4, 6-0, turning a tight first set into a 20-minute second-set blitz. Keys, seeded sixth, admitted she “wanted to run away with it” after grabbing an early break in the second set.
Meanwhile, Anna Kalinskaya pulled off the upset of the day, defeating Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 for her third Top 10 win of the year. Kalinskaya’s reward is a clash against fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Kalinskaya rallies on 🔛
Anna Kalinskaya takes out Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 to reach the fourth round in Cincinnati!#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/U8LtQbcOKl
— wta (@WTA) August 11, 2025
Match Summary
| Player | Opponent | Score | Round | Key Notes |
| Aryna Sabalenka | Emma Raducanu | 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(5) | 3rd Round | 3h 9m match, 2 tiebreak wins, 18th of season |
| Jannik Sinner | Gabriel Diallo | 6-2 7-6(6) | 3rd Round | Fire alarm delay, 23-match hardcourt streak |
| Taylor Fritz | Lorenzo Sonego | 7-6(4) 7-5 | 3rd Round | No break points faced, power outage delay |
| Madison Keys | Aoi Ito | 6-4 6-0 | 3rd Round | 20-min second set blitz |
| Anna Kalinskaya | Amanda Anisimova | 7-5 6-4 | 3rd Round | 3rd Top 10 win of the season |
Bigyan Samele’s Court-side Take
I see Sabalenka’s Cincinnati survival as a critical psychological win. Matches like these are where champions sharpen their steel. Raducanu may have lost on paper, but her growing resilience hints at a dangerous U.S. Open run.
Sinner’s calm under chaos shows why he’s becoming the sport’s most reliable force on hardcourts. Fritz’s lights-out serving and Keys’ ruthless second set send a message, momentum in Cincinnati can swing faster than a crosscourt forehand.
