Sabalenka Beats Raducanu in Cincinnati: Epic Duel in Three Sets

Emma Raducanu falls to Aryna Sabalenka in an exciting match

Emma Raducanu was eliminated from the Cincinnati Open after a close third-round match against the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka. This match represented the second encounter of the year between both tennis players, after Sabalenka prevailed in the third round of Wimbledon. In Cincinnati, another exciting duel took place that lasted more than three hours, where Raducanu took the 27-year-old player to a tiebreak in the third set. In a tense final, Sabalenka achieved victory with a score of 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

“As I said at Wimbledon, I’m glad to see her healthy, mentally and physically,” Sabalenka commented on Raducanu.

Aryna Sabalenka

“She’s getting better and I can see that she’s getting back to her best level. I enjoy playing against her, she’s an incredible player”.

Aryna Sabalenka

Emma Raducanu lost to Aryna Sabalenka on Monday. Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesOn her way to the third round, Raducanu defeated Olga Danilovic in the previous match, their first encounter since Francis Roig, former coach of Rafael Nadal, joined her team. The British tennis player got off to a good start, securing her first break point in the second game of the first set, although Sabalenka responded with a break of her own and soon leveled the score. Sabalenka seemed to be in control of the match, breaking Raducanu’s serve again to win four games in a row, but Raducanu managed to tie it 4-4 and showed her strength by winning the ninth game after a long deuce. A tight match led Sabalenka to a tiebreak, where she withstood the Brit’s solid resistance to secure the first set in under an hour.

The second set continued in the same vein, with both players holding serve in the early stages. However, Raducanu managed to change the course by winning a break point in the seventh game, taking the lead.

The Brit closed the set with style, achieving an ace to tie the match. Little could separate the two players in the third set, as both continued to hold serve. An incredible eighth game saw 13 deuces, with Sabalenka unable to convert four break points before Raducanu finally took the game. For the second time in the match, the set went to a tiebreak and, with her second match point, Sabalenka advanced to the next round. The world number one will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the round of 16, after the Spaniard defeated Taylor Townsend on the same Monday.