Aryna Sabalenka is set for another tough test at the Cincinnati Open.
In just her second match Sabalenka defeated Emma Raducanu in three gruelling sets to keep her title defence alive.
After Sabalenka defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to reach the quarter-finals, the Belarusian set up another clash against Elena Rybakina.
The former Wimbledon champion always brings her best against the world number one and fans can expect another exciting battle.
Aryna Sabalenka says her Cincinnati quarter-final against Elena Rybakina will be ‘aggressive’
Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed a morale-boosting 6-1, 7-5 win against Bouzas Maneiro at the Cincinnati Open.
This is the performance she was searching for after a tough three-set match against Raducanu and with Rybakina up next.
The Kazakh player, who has climbed back into the WTA’s top 10, came from a set down to beat Madison Keys in a hard-hitting affair.
This was ideal preparation for facing Sabalenka, who predicted how she thinks her next battle with Rybakina will play out.
“It’s going to be a really aggressive match. Two, I’d say, two big servers and we played a lot of great battles in the past and I always enjoyed playing against her,” Sabalenka told Tennis Channel.
“It’s just going to be another great match, another great opportunity to work on something new to improve and I’m excited to face her in the quarterfinals.”
What is Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head record against Elena Rybakina?
Sabalenka and Rybakina have faced one another on 11 occasions.
Illustrating just how evenly-matched they are, only three of their previous meetings have ended in straight sets, the last of which came in the final of the 2024 Brisbane International.
Sabalenka has prevailed on seven occasions, and she claimed their last meeting at the Berlin Open via a third set tiebreak.
Their two Grand Slam battles have gone the way of Sabalenka, including the 2023 Australian Open final.
The only previous meeting in America came at Indian Wells, when Rybakina won 7-6, 6-4 to win the title, and the Cincinnati Open’s ninth seed will aiming for a repeat performance in Ohio.
