Sabalenka Survives Gibson Scare to Reach Cincinnati Open Third Round

CINCINNATI, USA — World number one Aryna Sabalenka survived a stern challenge from Australia's Talia Gibson on Sunday, saving her best for the decisive moments to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Sabalenka needed six match points before finally closing out a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court. The Belarusian had five match points in the 12th game of the second set but Gibson fought them off to force a tiebreak.

Sabalenka, however, remained composed in the decider and sealed the match with a winner.

“I'm super tired, this is crazy weather,” Sabalenka said after the match.

She praised Gibson for raising her level in the second set, saying the Australian became more aggressive and put greater pressure on her service games.

“I'm glad I stayed calm and pulled it out in straight sets.”

Sabalenka Eyes Cincinnati Run Ahead of US Open

The victory keeps Sabalenka's preparations for the US Open on track as she looks to make a deep run in Cincinnati.

The Belarusian won the Cincinnati title in 2024 and has collected three titles in 2026, although her most recent triumph came in Miami in March.

Sabalenka will now move into the third round alongside reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva, who both advanced in convincing fashion.

Rybakina, Andreeva Cruise Through

World number two Rybakina defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4 to book her place in the third round.

The Kazakh, who recently finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Toronto, credited her serve for helping her secure a relatively comfortable victory after a demanding tournament in Canada.

“Today I'm happy with the serve. Definitely it helped me a lot,” Rybakina said.

Andreeva was even more dominant, dismantling Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-0. The French Open champion broke five times and saved all seven break points she faced.

Defending champion Swiatek also advanced, defeating Colombia's Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0.

Gauff Fights Back as Shelton Falls

Fourth seed Coco Gauff had to recover from a slow start before defeating Russia's Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Gauff responded strongly after dropping the opening set, winning the final five games to complete the comeback in difficult, blustery conditions.

American hopes suffered a setback in the men's draw, however, after Ben Shelton was eliminated by Portugal's Jaime Faria.

Faria recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory and record his first win over a top-10 opponent.

“These moments, you got to take it all in and just enjoy them,” Faria said.

Auger-Aliassime Makes Winning Return

Felix Auger-Aliassime marked his return to competition with an impressive 6-3, 7-5 victory over former Cincinnati finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Canadian had withdrawn from the Montreal Masters with back pain and was playing for the first time since his five-set Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Novak Djokovic.

He looked sharp in Cincinnati, breaking Tsitsipas three times in the second set and sealing victory with his seventh ace.

Daniil Medvedev also advanced, defeating Argentina's Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 7-5.

Taylor Fritz completed another American win in the men's draw, overcoming compatriot Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-4 despite an early racquet-smashing outburst.

With the Cincinnati Masters continuing to serve as a key staging ground for the US Open, the tournament's remaining contenders will be looking to build momentum as the hard-court season reaches its climax.