Cincinnati WTA Open: Rybakina last to qualify on Monday

Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 9 seed, edged out Belgian Elise Mertens, the No 19 seed, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the last 16 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Monday night.

“In the first set, I struggled a lot” she said. “I think I never did so many double faults (8 on 10 for the whole match). Something for me to learn. Happy in the end I managed to find my game. Thank you so much guys for staying so late.”

Rybakina, ranked No 12, will play American Madison Keys, the No 6 seed, next.

With victories over Renata Zarazua and Elise Mertens, Elena Rybakina has claimed multiple comeback wins at a single WTA event for the first time since Montreal in 2023. In the previous round of the Cincinnati tournament, the Kazakh edged out Mexican Renata Zarazua (4-6, 6-0, 7-5).

Cincinnati WTA 1000, other 32 results (Lindner Family Tennis Center, hard, USD 5.152.599, most recent results first):

• Clara Tauson vs. Veronika Kudermetova
• Magda Linette vs. Jessica Pegula
• Lucia Bronzetti vs. Jelena Ostapenko
• Dayana Yastremska vs. Coco Gauff
• Varvara Gracheva vs. Karolina Muchova
• Jasmine Paolini vs. Ashlyn Krueger
• Iva Jovic vs. Barbora Krejcikova
• Ella Seidel vs. McCartney Kessler
• Madison Keys beat Aoi Ito (Q): 6-4, 6-0
• Anna Kalinskaya (28) beat Amanda Anisimova (5): 7-5, 6-4
• Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Emma Raducanu (30): 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (5)
• Sorana Cirstea beat Yue Yuan (LL): 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4
• Ekaterina Alexandrova (12) beat Maya Joint: 6-4, 6-3
• Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beat Taylor Townsend (WC): 6-4, 6-1
• Iga Swiatek (3) beat Marta Kostyuk (25): W/O