Cincinnati Open: Sinner Overcomes Mannarino, Sabalenka Defeats Bouzas Maneiro
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, each recording straight-set victories — Sinner over France’s Adrian Mannarino and Sabalenka against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Sinner battled to a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win in a rain-interrupted contest lasting nearly three hours. Sabalenka, meanwhile, cruised through her first set before sealing a 6-1, 7-5 victory.
Up next, the Italian will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who ousted Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka’s quarter-final challenge will be against Elena Rybakina.
“The key was to stay focused and put as much pressure as possible on her serve,” Sabalenka explained. “I was up a break, made some errors, and she broke back. I’m happy to win in straight sets — I didn’t want this to turn into a three-hour match.”
Playing his first event since lifting the Wimbledon trophy, world number one Sinner notched his 24th consecutive hard-court victory, securing his fifth quarter-final appearance of the year. He took the opening set before Mannarino’s awkward style disrupted his rhythm in the second. Serving for the match, Sinner was broken, pushing the set into a tiebreak. The Italian sealed the win with back-to-back aces, his 11th and 12th of the day.
“He’s a tricky opponent, very different from most players,” Sinner said. “He reads the game well. It was tough to close, but I’m glad to reach the quarters.”
Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev wrapped up a weather-delayed win over Brandon Nakashima, finishing the last four points for a 6-4, 6-4 victory in under two minutes. Zverev will next meet Toronto finalist Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.
Fifth seed Ben Shelton, fresh from winning in Toronto, progressed by defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in a match carried over from Tuesday.
Women’s third seed Iga Swiatek and men’s seventh seed Holger Rune also booked quarter-final places before rain halted play. Swiatek beat Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 in 95 minutes despite making 33 unforced errors. “I wanted to be more solid than in my last match,” the Pole said. “I’m happy with my focus and consistency.”
Rune advanced when 2024 finalist Frances Tiafoe retired with lower back pain, trailing 6-4, 3-1. Tiafoe, who had beaten Rune in last year’s quarter-final before losing to Sinner in the final, left the court carrying only his shoes as officials took away his gear.
The win marked Rune’s 100th career hard-court victory and his first over a top-20 opponent since his triumph over Carlos Alcaraz in April’s Barcelona final.
In other action carried over from Tuesday, Poland’s Magda Linette reached the Cincinnati fourth round for the first time, upsetting fourth seed Jessica Pegula 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3.
