Defending champions Sinner, Sabalenka reach Cincinnati quarters
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka led the way into the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals on Wednesday with Carlos Alcaraz hot on their heels with a straight-sets victory of his own.
Sinner shrugged off a mid-match weather delay lasting nearly three hours as he advanced 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) over Adrian Mannarino.
Sabalenka, taken to three sets in her previous match with Emma Raducanu, regrouped after surrendering a second-set service break to defeat Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 7-5.
Alcaraz, the second seed who has reached the finals of his last six tournaments, hammered Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi 6-1, 6-4.
After sweeping the opening set in 28 minutes, Alcaraz hit a speed bump, dropping his serve to trail 2-4.
He promptly regained the break, then fought through a marathon ninth game that went to deuce eight times to take a 5-4 lead, Nardi coughing up a double-fault on break point.
Alcaraz double-faulted on his first match point before producing a volley winner to complete the job.
"This match was my best so far of the tournament," Alcaraz said. "At the start I wanted to get better each day and I've done that.
"I'm proud of that and happy with how I felt the ball and how I moved," added Alcaraz, who next faces ninth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev.
World number one Sinner, playing his first tournament since winning Wimbledon, notched his 24th consecutive hardcourt match victory.
The Italian won the first set and they were on serve in the second when they returned after the rain.
Frenchman Mannarino's tricky game took a toll as Sinner was broken while trying to serve out the match.
The second set went to a tiebreak, with Sinner firing his 11th and 12th aces to clinch victory.
"He's a very difficult opponent, different from the other payers," Sinner said. "He can read the opponent well. It was a struggle to close it out but I'm happy to be in the quarter-finals."
Sinner next faces Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Benjamin Bonzi of France 6-4, 6-3.
French qualifier Terence Atmane sprung the surprise of the day, shocking fourth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to win the biggest match of his career.
After putting a winner into the corner on match point, Atmane sank to his knees and shed a few tears.
"I can't believe this, I was shaking," the 136th-ranked Atmane said. "I cannot describe this feeling."
He'll fight for a semi-final berth against seventh-seeded Holger Rune, who led 6-4, 3-1 when home hope Frances Tiafoe retired with back trouble.
After her marathon victory against Raducanu, world number one Sabalenka was pleased to get off the court in straight sets against Bouzas Maneiro.
"The key was to focus and put as much pressure as possible on her serve," said Sabalenka.
"I'm glad to win in straight sets, I didn't want to stay for three hours."
Sabalenka will face former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2.
- Zverev at the double -
Third-seeded Alexander Zverev had to take to the court twice on Wednesday to reach the quarters -- although both outings were relatively short-lived.
The German started his day by polishing off a 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory over Brandon Nakashima in a match continued from Tuesday.
The entire one-game exercise, with 2021 Cincy winner Zverev leading 6-4, 5-4 when play resumed, took less than two minutes.
Hours later Zverev advanced to the quarters when Karen Khachanov retired with Zverev leading 7-5, 3-0.
Fifth seed Ben Shelton, last week's Toronto champion, reached the last 16 with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut in a match rescheduled from Tuesday.
Women's third seed Iga Swiatek beat Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3, overcoming 33 unforced errors in a 95-minute victory to reach the quarters.
"I wanted to be more solid than in my last match," Wimbledon champion Swiatek said. "I'm happy with the level of my focus and the consistency."
L.Paterson--EWJ
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