Sabalenka stunned by Bejlek in Cincinnati as slump continues
World number one Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprise loss to Czech Sara Bejlek in the Cincinnati Open fourth round, extending her poor form ahead of the US Open. Elena Rybakina could now overtake her at the top of the rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka's difficult run continued as the top seed was knocked out of the Cincinnati Open in the fourth round, losing 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 to 20-year-old Czech player Sara Bejlek, ranked 35th in the world.
The Belarusian led 5-1 in the first-set tiebreak but let it slip, then squandered a 4-1 lead in the second set as Bejlek fought back on both occasions to complete the upset.
The defeat could also cost Sabalenka her world number one ranking — if Elena Rybakina reaches the Cincinnati final, she will move ahead of Sabalenka at the top of the standings.
The 28-year-old had been aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win three consecutive US Open titles. However, her preparation for the New York Grand Slam, which starts on 30 August, has been troubled, with early exits in both Cincinnati and Toronto. Since claiming the Indian Wells and Miami titles in March, Sabalenka has reached only one semi-final, losing that to Jessica Pegula in Berlin.
For Bejlek, the win marked her first career victory over a top-10 opponent and her first appearance in a WTA 1000 quarter-final. She won the Abu Dhabi hard-court title in February as a qualifier. She will next face former Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the quarter-finals.
Men's draw
In the men's event, American Tommy Paul pulled off a dramatic win over top seed Alexander Zverev. The German won the first set and led 4-3 in the second when a 90-minute rain delay interrupted play. Zverev failed to convert a match point in the second-set tiebreak, and Paul went on to take the decider, winning 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. He will next play Italy's Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals.
