Sabalenka edges Raducanu in marathon to reach Cincinnati round of 16

Aryna Sabalenka extended her Cincinnati Open title defense with a hard-fought 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 victory over Emma Raducanu in a three-hour, nine-minute marathon, a match defined by momentum swings, bold shotmaking and a high physical toll on both players. The world No. 1 survived a demanding third set—including a 20-minute service game that produced 13 deuces—to reach the round of 16, where she will meet Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and pursue another deep run on the North American hard courts.

The clash was a microcosm of their recent meetings: an explosive first set decided by a tiebreak, a resilient response from Raducanu in the second, and a final-set struggle that hinged on serve, nerve and clutch play at the key moments. Sabalenka admitted the match was punishing, saying it was “really tough, all about momentum and taking risks,” and that she had to go for bold shots on the crucial points to keep her title bid alive. Her winning run in tiebreaks this season—now a pronounced feature of her game—helped seal the comeback in the end.

Raducanu, who has been reinvigorating her game under the guidance of Francisco Roig, provided a performance full of signs for the future. She pushed...