Sabalenka, Sinner advance in rain-hit Cincinnati Open

WORLD number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday, while men’s top seed Jannik Sinner beat Adrian Mannarino following a lengthy rain delay.

Fresh off a thrilling third-round battle with Emma Raducanu, women’s reigning champion Sabalenka had an easier ride against the Spaniard Bouzas Maneiro, earning her tour-leading 50^th win in one hour and 20 minutes.

The Belarusian will next meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in a final-worthy showdown, as the ninth-seeded Kazakh rallied from a set down to beat Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.

Earlier, six-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek reached the quarters with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Sorana Cirstea, with the third-seeded Pole extending her perfect record against the Romanian to 5-0.

Fellow Pole Magda Linette secured her second top-10 win of the season by upsetting American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, in a third-round match that extended over two days after Tuesday’s suspension due to rain.

SINNER, ALCARAZ THROUGH
In the men’s draw, defending champion Sinner kept his title defense on track, beating Frenchman Mannarino 6-4, 7-6(4), after an almost three-hour rain interruption.

The Italian four-times Grand Slam champion struggled to find his rhythm, failing to serve out at 6-5 but sealing the tiebreak with back-to-back aces for his 24^th consecutive hard-court victory.

Sinner will face Canadian 23^rd seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fifth quarterfinal this year.

Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz booked his 18^th Masters 1000 quarterfinal by beating Italian Luca Nardi 6-1, 6-4.

Alcaraz will next face Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, who beat Argentine Francisco Comesana 6-2, 6-3.

Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton, whose match was also halted after the first set, progressed to the last 16 with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. The American fifth seed will face Czech Jiri Lehecka.

French qualifier Terence Atmane earned the biggest win of his career by stunning American fourth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, earning his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal berth. — Reuters