Cincinnati Open WTA Round-Up Day Three | Alex Eala moves on after Ruse injury as Anisimova and Pegula make their mark
WTASunday, 16 August 2026 at 08:47
The Cincinnati Open continued to deliver contrasting storylines on Day Three, with Alexandra Eala and Amanda Anisimova both advancing in convincing fashion while Maja Chwalinska secured another important win following her breakthrough run at Roland Garros. Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova also avoided major trouble to move into the third round.
Maria Sakkari, meanwhile, had to work considerably harder for her place in the next round, surviving a three-set battle against Kamilla Rakhimova. The Greek recovered after losing control of the second set, while Eala benefited from Elena-Gabriela Ruse's retirement to continue her Cincinnati campaign.
Eala dominates before Ruse retirement
Alexandra Eala 6-1, 3-0 RET Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Alexandra Eala continued her impressive Cincinnati campaign by advancing to the third round after Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired at the start of the second set. The Filipina made a difficult opening game look like a minor setback, dropping her first service game before completely taking over the match. Eala proceeded to win the next nine games in a row, turning an initially competitive start into a one-sided contest.
Her return game was particularly effective throughout the opening set, with Eala converting all three of her break-point opportunities to build a commanding 6-1 lead. Ruse struggled to regain any control after the early exchanges, while Eala maintained the intensity from the baseline and consistently forced her opponent to play under pressure.
The pattern continued into the second set, with Eala immediately securing another break and then extending her advantage to 3-0. With the Romanian unable to continue, Eala booked her place in the third round and will now face Amanda Anisimova in what promises to be one of the more intriguing matchups of the next round.
Chwalinska continues momentum after French Open breakthrough
Cristina Bucsa 2-6, 2-6 Maja Chwalinska
Maja Chwalinska continued to build on the biggest breakthrough of her career by defeating Cristina Bucsa in straight sets. The Pole arrived in Cincinnati with considerably more attention following her unexpected run to the Roland Garros final, but she showed no signs of being overwhelmed by the new expectations as she produced a confident performance on hard court.
Chwalinska was clearly the more effective player against a tricky opponent in Bucsa, controlling the match from the baseline and preventing the Spaniard from turning the contest into the type of physical battle that could have disrupted her rhythm. After taking the opening set 6-2, Chwalinska maintained her level and avoided allowing Bucsa to build any sustained momentum in the second.
The victory is particularly significant given the change in conditions from the clay-court season to the North American hard-court swing. Chwalinska has now shown that her Roland Garros breakthrough was not simply a product of the surface, and she will have another opportunity to prove it in the next round against Diana Shnaider.
Anisimova survives break-point battle
Zeynep Sonmez 2-6, 3-6 Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova continued her Cincinnati run with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Zeynep Sonmez, recovering quickly from an early setback to take control of a match dominated by breaks of serve. Sonmez moved ahead 2-1 at the beginning, but Anisimova responded immediately and then produced her best stretch of the match, winning five consecutive games to turn the opening set firmly in her favor.
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The American was particularly aggressive on return and repeatedly exposed weaknesses in Sonmez's service games. Anisimova finished with six breaks from eight opportunities to break, an extraordinary level of efficiency that left Sonmez with very little room to settle into the match. The Turkish player did not manage to hold serve for the first time in the second set until her sixth service game, by which point Anisimova was already in complete control.
Sonmez's late resistance was not enough to change the outcome, as Anisimova protected her advantage and closed out the match in straight sets. The victory sends her into the third round, where she will face Alexandra Eala in an especially interesting matchup between two of the tournament's younger contenders.
Noskova handles Boulter challenge
Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3 Katie Boulter
Linda Noskova produced a composed performance to defeat Katie Boulter in straight sets and advance to the next round in Cincinnati. The Czech managed to establish a break advantage in both sets and, crucially, never allowed Boulter to turn either of them into a prolonged battle. Noskova remained solid from the baseline and handled the pressure of facing a dangerous opponent who continued to look for opportunities to recover.
Boulter repeatedly found herself needing to chase the score after falling behind, but Noskova was able to protect her advantage whenever the Briton threatened to get back into the contest.
There were stretches in which both players held firmly behind their serves, but Noskova was more efficient when the decisive moments arrived. She ultimately secured a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory and continues her Cincinnati campaign with another strong hard-court result.
Pegula cruises past error-prone Waltert
Simona Waltert 3-6, 2-6 Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula advanced comfortably into the next round after defeating Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-2 in a match where the American consistently capitalized on her opponent's struggles. Waltert never found enough consistency behind her serve, committing 11 double faults and winning only half of the points played behind her first delivery, giving Pegula repeated opportunities to attack.
The American was particularly effective on return, breaking Waltert six times across the match while allowing only two breaks of her own. Pegula's pressure prevented Waltert from establishing any sustained momentum, and even when the Swiss managed to stay competitive in individual games, she struggled to string enough points together to change the direction of the match.
Pegula eventually closed out the victory in straight sets, maintaining control after taking the opening set 6-3 and pulling further away in the second. It was an efficient start to her Cincinnati campaign, with the American advancing without needing to spend excessive time on court and continuing her run at another important hard-court event.
Sakkari survives Rakhimova rollercoaster
Kamilla Rakhimova 2-6, 7-5, 1-6 Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari advanced after surviving a match that initially looked to be firmly under her control before Kamilla Rakhimova turned it into a much more complicated contest. The Greek made an excellent start, breaking early and controlling the opening set. Sakkari finished with three breaks to Rakhimova's one and took the opener 6-2.
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The second set appeared to be heading in a similar direction when Sakkari recovered from 1-4 down and won four consecutive games to move ahead 5-4. Rakhimova, however, refused to collapse, winning the final three games while also saving several break points to force a deciding set.
Sakkari responded in the third, breaking early and immediately restoring control. As Rakhimova's level began to drop following the demands of the second set, the Greek became increasingly dominant in the final stages and closed out the 6-2, 7-5, 1-6 victory. She will face either Iga Swiatek or Emiliana Arango in the next round.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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