Cincinnati Open WTA Day Seven Round-Up | Aryna Sabalenka stunned, Swiatek stays perfect and Rybakina keeps No. 1 hopes alive

Thursday, 20 August 2026 at 06:14

Aryna Sabalenka raises her arm in frustration

The Cincinnati Open is moving toward the business end of the tournament, with several of the WTA's biggest names continuing to advance. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina all booked their places in the next round in straight sets, while the day's biggest drama came from Marta Kostyuk, who overturned a first-set deficit to eliminate Mirra Andreeva.

Amanda Anisimova also continued her run with a convincing victory over Linda Noskova, giving the American another important win during the North American hard-court swing. With the draw beginning to narrow, the leading contenders are increasingly being tested against one another.

Swiatek keeps rolling into the quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-3 Diane Parry

Iga Swiatek produced another dominant performance in Cincinnati, defeating Diane Parry 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals and extend her winning streak to nine matches. The Pole was constantly putting pressure on Parry's serve, converting five of her opportunities to break compared with just two breaks for her opponent.

Swiatek was also largely comfortable behind her own delivery, landing 72% of her first serves and winning 71% of those points. She won most of her service games without significant difficulty while repeatedly forcing Parry into pressure situations on return. After her Canadian Open title, Swiatek continues to look increasingly comfortable on the North American hard courts.

Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates her 6-2, 6-3 win over Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina to clinch the National Bank Open final

Rybakina advances without drama

Diana Shnaider 4-6, 4-6 Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina also booked her place in the next round with a composed straight-sets victory over Diana Shnaider. The Kazakh did not need a spectacular comeback or a prolonged battle, instead doing enough in both sets to secure the necessary breaks and maintain control once ahead.

Rybakina's progress is particularly significant given the ranking picture surrounding her. After reaching the Canadian Open final last week, she remains in pursuit of Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the WTA rankings, making every additional round in Cincinnati potentially important. The Kazakh therefore moves on with another opportunity to close the gap at the summit.

Rybakina raises her arm to greet the crowd after a victory in Toronto

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates after defeating Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, during round of 16 National Bank Open

Kostyuk rallies for major Andreeva upset

Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 Mirra Andreeva

Marta Kostyuk secured a major Top-10 victory by turning the match around against Mirra Andreeva, recovering from a difficult opening set to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. Andreeva had looked in control after taking the opener, but her level dropped sharply in the second set as a series of errors allowed Kostyuk to take complete command.

The Ukrainian needed only 24 minutes to bagel Andreeva and carried that momentum straight into the decider. She continued to dictate the exchanges and never allowed the Russian to recover, eventually winning 12 of the final 14 games to complete a remarkable turnaround. Kostyuk now faces Coco Gauff in the next round.

Marta Kostyuk with her arms out by her side

Gauff survives service struggles to advance

Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 Marie Bouzkova

Coco Gauff advanced with a convincing scoreline against Marie Bouzkova, although the American had to work harder than the 6-3, 6-2 result might suggest. Gauff struggled at times behind her serve, producing six double faults and facing eight break points, but she managed to save every one of them and avoid allowing Bouzkova back into the match.

Bouzkova competed well in several extended exchanges but was unable to make enough of her opportunities when they mattered. Gauff, meanwhile, remained consistently dangerous on return and converted three of 12 break opportunities. An early break in both sets allowed the American to play from ahead and manage the match on her terms, despite not producing her cleanest serving performance.

Coco Gauff of the United States reacts while playing against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan during National Bank Open

Anisimova stays composed after rain interruption

Linda Noskova 1-6, 4-6 Amanda Anisimova

Amanda Anisimova continued her strong Cincinnati campaign with a convincing straight-sets victory over Linda Noskova, eliminating the recent Wimbledon champion 6-1, 6-4. The ninth seed immediately established control, dominating the opening set before rain interrupted the match after she had taken it 6-1.

The delay did little to disrupt Anisimova's rhythm. After play resumed, both players settled into more competitive service games, with Noskova managing to stay close for much of the second set. However, Anisimova made the only breakthrough she needed, converting her sole break opportunity of the set before holding her nerve to serve out the match. The American therefore moves into the quarterfinals without dropping a set.

Bejlek stuns Sabalenka to shake up No. 1 race

Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 4-6 Sara Bejlek

Sara Bejlek produced one of the biggest upsets of the Cincinnati Open, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals. The Czech held her nerve throughout a tense opening set, eventually winning the tie-break to put Sabalenka under immediate pressure.

Sabalenka appeared to have turned the match around in the second set after recovering from an early break and moving 4-2 ahead. However, Bejlek refused to let the opportunity slip, winning the final four games of the match to complete the upset in straight sets. The result also has major implications at the top of the rankings, with Sabalenka now facing the possibility of losing the No. 1 position to Elena Rybakina if the Kazakh goes on to win the Cincinnati title.

Aryna Sabalenka patiently waiting for play to resume at 2025 WTA Finals

Aryna Sabalenka bouncing the ball off her racket at the 2025 WTA Finals

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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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