Top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her quest to defend the Cincinnati title by defeating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 7-5 on Wednesday night to secure her place in the quarterfinals, where she will face ninth seed Elena Rybakina on Friday.
Two days after an intense three-hour match against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, Sabalenka needed just 1 hour 20 minutes to beat Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets in what appeared to be a routine win. The Belarusian dominated the opening set but had to dig deep in the second after her opponent staged a late comeback.
Sabalenka looked on course for a comfortable win when she led 4-2 in the second set, but Maneiro claimed three consecutive games to go up 5-4, coming within two points of forcing a decider. However, Sabalenka quickly rediscovered her aggressive rhythm to close out the match in style.
Post-match, Sabalenka praised her opponent, saying, “Jessica is a great player. I knew coming into the night that I would have to work for every point. She did not start well, but then she found her rhythm, and it was a tough battle. I’m super happy to get this win in straight sets. I didn’t want to stay here for three hours, sorry guys,” she said, as quoted by the WTA.
This victory marked Sabalenka’s 50th match win of the 2025 WTA season, making her the first player to achieve that milestone this year. She also became the first player to reach four consecutive Cincinnati quarterfinals since Simona Halep from 2013 to 2018.
Rybakina’s Road to the Quarters
Sabalenka’s next opponent, Rybakina, defeated sixth seed Madison Keys 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 in a competitive battle. The 2022 Wimbledon champion avenged her loss earlier this year to Keys at the Australian Open and, in doing so, became only the second Top 10 player since 1990 to record three comeback victories en route to a Tier 1/WTA 1000 quarterfinal, according to the WTA.
Earlier this year, Rybakina defeated Spaniard Paula Badosa in Dubai, making this her second top-10 win of the season. Her Cincinnati run extends an impressive North American hard-court swing, which has included semifinal finishes in Washington, D.C., and Montreal.
Rivalry Renewed
Friday’s quarterfinal will mark the 12th meeting between Sabalenka and Rybakina, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head 7-4. In their most recent clash in Berlin, Sabalenka won 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6). Interestingly, neither player has managed to win back-to-back matches in their rivalry over the past six meetings.
Other Cincinnati Highlights
Elsewhere in Cincinnati, World No. 3 Iga Swiatek maintained her perfect record against Sorana Cirstea with a 6-4, 6-3 victory to advance to the last eight. The Polish star will next face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.
Sabalenka, already a champion this season in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid, remains in contention for her fourth title of the year. With Rybakina in formidable form, Friday’s clash promises to deliver another thrilling chapter in one of the WTA Tour’s most compelling rivalries.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
