Epic Showdowns at Cincinnati Open: Sabalenka and Sinner Triumph

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, maintained her title defense at the Cincinnati Open with a hard-fought victory over Emma Raducanu. The thrilling third-round encounter lasted over three hours, ending with Sabalenka's 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) triumph. The Belarusian tennis star showcased her powerful serve in critical moments, enhancing her record with two tie-break wins.

Despite the loss, Raducanu demonstrated strong form, hinting at a resurgence ahead of the U.S. Open. She outscored Sabalenka in total points and received praise from her competitor. Sabalenka advances to face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round. On the men's side, Jannik Sinner continued his dominance, defeating Gabriel Diallo amidst unexpected interruptions.

Elsewhere, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys advanced to the last 16, overcoming a power outage and competitive opponents. Fritz edged out Lorenzo Sonego, while Keys swiftly defeated Aoi Ito. The tournament saw challenges and surprises, including Anna Kalinskaya's upset over Amanda Anisimova and Arthur Rinderknech's mid-match retirement due to harsh conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)