Cincinnati Open: Sabalenka takes six match points to defeat Gibson

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka escapes with a nail-biting win while in the ATP draw, Felix Auger-Aliassime downs ex-champ Stefanos Tsitsipas.Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Talia Gibson during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, on August 16, 2026 [Aaron Doster/Imagn Images via Reuters]Published On 17 Aug 2026World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed six match points to subdue Talia Gibson and join reigning Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.Australia’s Gibson saved five match points in the 12th game of Sunday’s second set before Sabalenka came through in the tiebreaker, managing a final winner to get the job done 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court in the US state of Ohio.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Barcelona reaches deal with Man City to sign Spain skipper Rodrilist 2 of 4WAFCON: Cameroon beat tournament debutants Malawi to win maiden titlelist 3 of 4‘Probably my last year’: Ronaldo says this could be his final seasonlist 4 of 4Arsenal defend title against revamped challengers as Premier League returnsend of list“I’m super tired. This is crazy weather,” Sabalenka said. “Talia played great tennis and was more aggressive in the second set.“She put more pressure on my service games. I’m glad I stayed calm and pulled it out in straight sets.”Sabalenka won Cincinnati in 2024 and is hoping for a deep run to carry her into the US Open, where she’ll be seeking her first Grand Slam title of the year.The Belarusian has won three titles in 2026 but none since Miami in March.She advanced along with Australian Open winner Rybakina and Roland Garros champion Andreeva, who powered on in convincing style.US hope Coco Gauff, seeded fourth, had to work harder for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over 43rd-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova, and fellow American Ben Shelton – up to sixth in the world rankings after his Montreal Masters triumph last week – was sent packing by 79th- ranked Jaime Faria of Portugal.World number two Rybakina, coming off a runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek in Toronto and inching closer to Sabalenka in the rankings, defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-4.Andreeva crushed Oleksandra Oliynykova with the loss of just one game, breaking five times and saving all seven break points she faced in a 6-1, 6-0 rout.Rybakina said she is concentrating on recovery after a tough Toronto run and was glad to get off to a low-stress start in Cincinnati.“Today I’m happy with the serve,” she said. “Definitely it helped me a lot. Last week in Toronto was very difficult. A lot of three- set matches.”Seventh-seeded Swiatek, the defending champion, who bagged her first title of a rocky season in Toronto, hammered Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-3, 6-0.Gauff and Shelton headlined an evening session that proved tricky as blustery conditions gave way to brief rain that halted both matches for just under half an hour.Gauff pulled out a victory with a storming finish, winning the last five games.Sabalenka returns a shot against Gibson in their second-round clash [Aaron Doster/Imagn Images via Reuters]‘Very emotional moment’Shelton fell victim to the same sort of surge from Faria, who rallied from 4-1 down in the second set to post his first top-10 win with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over the American in the ATP draw.“These moments, you got to take it all in and just enjoy it,” Faria said. “It’s a very emotional moment for me and my team, to do it here in front of an amazing crowd and against the home player at night at an amazing venue just makes it a little more special.”The men’s second seed, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, was aiming to kick-start his US Open preparations after pulling out of his home Masters with back pain.Auger-Aliassime, playing for the first time since a five-set quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, defeated 2022 Cincinnati finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-5.The Canadian looked fully recovered as he throttled Tsitsipas in 88 minutes, breaking his 49th-ranked opponent three times in the second set and firing his seventh ace on match point.Auger-Aliassime said a late break of his serve could be blamed partly on the windy conditions.“It was a tricky ending, but luckily, I was able to get the break back,” he said. “I’m happy to be back with a win like this.”Fourth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev opened his campaign with a businesslike 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Argentinian Marco Trungelliti.US sixth seed Taylor Fritz smashed a racquet in anger just five minutes into his match with compatriot Alex Michelsen but recovered his poise in the swirling winds to earn a 6-3, 6-4 win.Felix Auger-Aliassime returns a shot against Stefanos Tsitsipas during their second-round match-up at the Cincinnati Open [Aaron Doster/Imagn Images via Reuters]