Cincinnati Open: Alcaraz Advances to Semis After Thrilling Win Over Rublev; Rybakina Upsets No. 1 Sabalenka
World number two Carlos Alcaraz demonstrated his resilience by overcoming a fierce challenge from Andrey Rublev to secure a spot in the semifinals of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday. Meanwhile, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka’s tournament came to an unexpected end as she was defeated by Elena Rybakina.
Alcaraz clinched the match with a final score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, breaking Rublev in a tense final game. The Spanish star will now face either third-seeded Alexander Zverev or fifth-seeded Ben Shelton for a chance to compete in the final.
In a surprising turn of events, Rybakina dominated the top-ranked Sabalenka, winning decisively with a score of 6-1, 6-4. This victory sets Rybakina up for a semifinal clash against Iga Swiatek, who defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 in her quarterfinal match.
Alcaraz faced a moment of uncertainty when he was broken while serving for the match at 5-4 in the final set. However, he quickly regained his focus, showcasing his trademark grit. He sealed the hard-fought victory after Rublev committed an eighth double fault on match point. This marks Alcaraz’s 14th consecutive Masters 1000 win, bringing his season record to an impressive 52-2 since April.
“I maintained positive thoughts even if I lost focus a bit in the second set,” Alcaraz reflected. “Fighting back is what I’m most proud of. I love playing in extreme conditions with all of this crowd energy.”
On the women’s side, Rybakina avenged a previous loss to Sabalenka, claiming her fifth victory in their 12-match rivalry. With 11 aces throughout the match, Rybakina expressed satisfaction with her serve, noting it was pivotal to her success. “If she had been serving well, it would have been a totally different match,” she said.
In the other semifinal, Swiatek advanced after a hard-fought battle with Kalinskaya, needing 93 minutes and five match points to secure the win. The former world number one acknowledged the challenges posed by the hot, humid conditions, stating, “It’s getting worse and worse, I guess.”
In additional quarterfinal action, Veronika Kudermetova cruised past Varvara Gracheva with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 victory and awaits the outcome of the match between world number two Coco Gauff and ninth-ranked Jasmine Paolini.
