Sabalenka survives six match points to reach Cincinnati round 3

Summary 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a tense challenge from Australia's Talia Gibson on Sunday, needing six match points to secure a straight-sets victory and book her place in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters. The Belarusian appeared close to victory when she created five match points in the 12th game. Sabalenka kept her composure when it mattered most, dominating the tiebreak before sealing the match with a final winner. AI Generated Summary CINCINNATI: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a tense challenge from Australia's Talia Gibson on Sunday, needing six match points to secure a straight-sets victory and book her place in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters. Sabalenka eventually prevailed 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) in just under two hours on a windswept Grandstand Court, but the second set turned into a nerve-testing battle. The Belarusian appeared close to victory when she created five match points in the 12th game. Gibson, however, refused to surrender, saving all five before forcing the set into a tiebreak. Sabalenka kept her composure when it mattered most, dominating the tiebreak before sealing the match with a final winner. 'I'm super tired; this is crazy weather,' Sabalenka said after the contest, praising Gibson for becoming more aggressive and putting greater pressure on her serve. The victory keeps Sabalenka's bid for another deep Cincinnati run alive. She won the tournament in 2024 and is hoping to build momentum ahead of the US Open, where she will be chasing her first Grand Slam title of the 2026 season. Sabalenka has already captured three titles this year, although her most recent triumph came in Miami in March. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced comfortably with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Taylor Townsend. The world No. 2 arrived in Cincinnati after finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Toronto. French Open champion Mirra Andreeva produced an even more emphatic performance, crushing Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-0 while saving all seven break points she faced. Defending champion Swiatek also moved forward, defeating Colombia's Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0. American fourth seed Coco Gauff battled back from a slow start to defeat Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, winning the final five games. The day ended on a disappointing note for American Ben Shelton, however, as the world No. 6 was eliminated by Portugal's Jaime Faria.