Sabalenka cruises into Cincinnati fourth round as Medvedev loses his temper in shock defeat

World number one Aryna Sabalenka delivered a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over China's Wang Xinyu, needing just 54 minutes to book her place in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian conceded only six points across eight service games, made just five unforced errors and never faced a break point.

The 28-year-old said she was thrilled with such a fast and convincing win, explaining that she trusted her shots and avoided overthinking during the match. It marked her easiest victory since her fourth-round exit at Wimbledon and an early loss in Canada last week.

Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion at the US Open, which starts on Sunday, 30 August. No woman has won three consecutive titles in New York since Serena Williams in 2014. Her position as world number one is also being challenged by Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina — Sabalenka held a 354-point lead heading into Cincinnati. For Rybakina to overtake her, she would need to at least reach the final, or win the title outright depending on how far Sabalenka advances. Sabalenka will next face Czech player Sara Bejlek for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Medvedev's meltdown

Earlier in the day, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 defeat to American Brandon Nakashima. The Russian rallied from 2-5 down to win the first set on a tie-break, then held three match points while leading 5-4 in the second set. Nakashima saved all three, won the ensuing tie-break, and then dominated the third set.

After missing the match points, Medvedev threw his racquet at the electronic boards behind the court, briefly breaking one, kicked a screen and knocked over several microphones. He finished the match with 51 unforced errors. Nakashima said he was very pleased with how he performed in the third set.