WORLD No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday (Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, PH time), sweeping past China’s Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
The top-seeded Sabalenka needed just 20 minutes to race through the opening set against her 36th-ranked opponent, then opened the second set with an immediate break of serve.
She maintained relentless pressure throughout, and Wang double-faulted on Sabalenka’s first match point to end the contest after 54 minutes.
The victory extended Sabalenka’s remarkable winning streak at the Masters 1000 level to 45 consecutive matches. She will next face Czech player Sara Bejlek, who rallied past Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff also moved on, defeating fellow American Ann Li 6-1, 7-6 (3). Gauff’s next opponent will be Marie Bouzkova, who edged Iva Jovic 7-6 (0), 7-6 (5). Russian No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva joined them in the Round of 16 after a 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory over Janice Tjen.
Meanwhile, ninth-ranked Elina Svitolina has withdrawn from the tournament due to a right ankle injury sustained in Toronto. The Ukrainian was scheduled to face Wang Xiyu on Tuesday but was forced to pull out after failing to recover in time.
“Unfortunately, I tried my best to recover, but I didn’t recover as quickly to get ready for my next round,” Svitolina said in an Associated Press report. “I’ve been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely. I was looking forward to playing here. Had a great match here two nights ago. Very sad to pull out of this round.”
Her withdrawal means Wang Xiyu advances to the fourth round, where she will face American Madison Keys on Wednesday (Thursday in PH). Svitolina had also taken a medical timeout during her second-round comeback win over Tereza Valentova on Sunday, saving seven match points to claim the set.
On the men’s side, Brandon Nakashima pulled off a stunning upset, rallying past fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the third round. The American saved three match points along the way, capping off another impressive performance in what has been a breakthrough summer.
Nakashima appeared in control early, breaking Medvedev for a 4-2 lead and moving within a game of the opening set. But Medvedev fought back, saving four set points and breaking Nakashima as he served for the set, then taking the tiebreak with a backhand passing shot down the line.
The American refused to fold, however, matching Medvedev hold for hold in the second set and saving three match points before edging another tiebreak to force a deciding set. Medvedev then lost both his rhythm and composure in the third, as Nakashima raced away with two breaks to seal the victory.
Other men advancing to the Round of 16 included second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz, and Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Auger-Aliassime defeated Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1, Fritz topped Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-4, and Musetti handled Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3. / FROM THE WIRES
