Aryna Sabalenka Edges Talia Gibson in Tense Battle to Reach Cincinnati Third Round

Cincinnati: World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed six match points to subdue Talia Gibson on Sunday and join reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Australia’s Gibson saved five match points in the 12th game of the second set before Sabalenka came through in the tiebreaker, managing a final winner to get the job done 6-2, 7-6 (2) in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court.

Sabalenka won Cincinnati in 2024 and is hoping for a deep run to carry her into the US Open, where she’ll be seeking her first Grand Slam title of the year.

The Belarusian has won three titles in 2026, but none since Miami in March.

She advanced along with Australian Open winner Rybakina and Roland Garros champion Andreeva, who powered on in convincing style.

US hope Coco Gauff, seeded fourth, had to work harder for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over 43rd-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova.

World number two Rybakina, coming off a runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek in Toronto and inching closer to Sabalenka in the rankings, defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4.

Andreeva crushed Oleksandra Oliynykova with the loss of just one game, breaking five times and saving all seven break points she faced in a 6-1, 6-0 rout.

Moreover, 8th seed Elina Svitolina beat Tereza Valentova 3-6 7-6 6-0, Sloane Stephens beat Anastasia Potapova 6-2 6-4, Iva Jovic beat Tamara Korpatsch 6-4 6-3,  Wang Xiyu beat Leylah Fernandez 3-6 6-2 6-2, Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Anna Blinkova 6-7 6-4 7-5, Katerina Siniakova beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-7 6-1 6-1.

On Monday, the defending champion and 7th seed Iga Swiatek came back strongly after losing first set to beat 29th seed Maria Sakkari 4-6 6-1 6-1. Earlier, she hammered Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-3, 6-0 on Sunday. Agencies

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