Cincinnati Open WTA Round-Up Day Five | Amanda Anisimova knocks out Eala as Swiatek and Rybakina advance comfortably

The Cincinnati Open women's draw continued to deliver high-profile clashes as the tournament moved deeper into the second week of the North American hard-court swing. Iga Swiatek maintained her momentum after winning the Canadian Open, while Elena Rybakina continued her push towards the WTA No. 1 ranking with another hard-fought victory.

There was also plenty of drama among the leading names, with Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova advancing while Alexandra Eala's run came to an end after Amanda Anisimova completed a comeback in three sets. The Filipino had taken the opening set before Anisimova turned the match around, adding another major test to Eala's breakthrough North American swing.

Iga Swiatek recovered from a difficult opening set to defeat Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 and extend her winning streak to eight matches. The Polish star struggled with her serve early on, allowing Sakkari to take advantage and secure the only break of the opening set in the fifth game. From there, the Greek remained composed behind her delivery and held her advantage to take the opener 6-4.

The response from Swiatek was immediate. She broke at the start of the second set and, after saving a couple of break points, began to impose herself from the baseline. Her increased aggression gradually pushed Sakkari further behind the court, with the Greek struggling to match the intensity. Swiatek won an impressive 87% of points behind her first serve and converted two of four break opportunities as she levelled the match with a dominant 6-1 set.

The deciding set followed a similar pattern, with Swiatek quickly establishing a double-break lead at 4-0. Sakkari managed to hold once, but could not disrupt the defending champion's rhythm as Swiatek closed out another 6-1 set. The result keeps her unbeaten across her last eight matches and maintains her Cincinnati title defense, with Diane Parry next.

Elena Rybakina advanced after a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 victory over Magdalena Frech in a match repeatedly disrupted by rain. The Kazakh initially had to recover from an early break, restoring parity at 2-2 before both players settled into a consistent rhythm behind their serves. Rybakina moved ahead 5-4 when the first rain delay arrived, forcing a pause of around 30 minutes.

When play resumed, Frech returned to serve but immediately faced pressure. Rybakina needed only one break opportunity to take advantage and close out the opening set 6-4. The second set was again interrupted by rain, although the disruption did little to change the competitive nature of the contest as Frech repeatedly held firm under pressure.

The Polish player saved as many as nine break points in the set and eventually recovered after Rybakina moved ahead late. Frech even saved multiple match points on serve to force the tie-break, but Rybakina raised her level when it mattered most. The No. 2 seed held her nerve to complete the straight-sets victory and will face Diana Shnaider next.

Linda Noskova recovered from an early setback to defeat Clara Tauson 7-6, 6-2 in a match that initially looked as though it could go the Dane's way. Tauson secured an early break and managed her advantage well, moving 5-3 ahead and putting herself in position to serve for the opening set. She even earned a set point during a tense service game, but Noskova refused to let the opportunity disappear.

The Czech finally converted her sixth break point to level the set before taking control in the tie-break. Her powerful serve became increasingly difficult for Tauson to handle, while errors from the Dane allowed Noskova to build momentum. She won five consecutive points during the tie-break before completing the comeback and taking the opening set.

Noskova carried that momentum directly into the second set. She broke within the first few games and then protected her advantage without facing another break point. As Tauson's level dropped, Noskova applied increasing pressure and secured a second break late in the set before closing out a much more straightforward 6-2 victory.

Jessica Pegula advanced from an all-American clash with Emma Navarro, winning 7-5, 6-2 after producing the stronger performance in the key moments. The opening set was highly competitive, with both players creating regular opportunities on return. Navarro moved ahead 5-4 after an exchange of early breaks, but Pegula responded decisively when the pressure increased.

The world No. 3 dominated the closing stages of the set, winning three games in a row as Navarro struggled to convert her opportunities. Pegula's ability to stay composed during the longer return games ultimately proved decisive, allowing her to turn a precarious position into a 7-5 opening-set victory.

Pegula then carried that momentum into the second set, building a double-break advantage and extending her run to seven consecutive games. Navarro eventually recovered one of the breaks, but Pegula remained in control and secured another break late in the match before serving out the victory. The final break was her fifth of the match and completed a convincing win over her compatriot.

Alexandra Eala was unable to complete another major upset as Amanda Anisimova recovered from losing the opening set to defeat the Filipino 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Eala made the stronger start and showed impressive composure in a tightly contested opening set, particularly after saving four break points in a lengthy service game to move 3-2 ahead. Anisimova eventually struck first on return at 4-3, but Eala immediately broke back before taking control of the closing stages.

The Filipino then carried that momentum into the second set, holding to open and staying level with Anisimova through the first six games. However, the American gradually increased the pressure and eventually found a way through, leveling the match at one set apiece. Anisimova's response ensured the deciding set would become a test of Eala's ability to maintain the level that had taken her into the lead.

The third set initially remained finely balanced, with Eala moving ahead 2-1 before both players exchanged holds. At 2-2, Anisimova finally created separation by securing the first break of the decider, then consolidated for a 4-2 lead. The American completed the turnaround from there, winning four of the final five games to close out a 6-2 deciding set and advance.