Sabalenka Wins Three-Hour Cincinnati Opener Over Raducanu

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka narrowly defeated Britain's Emma Raducanu in a grueling three-hour match at the Cincinnati Open, winning 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) to advance to the fourth round. Sabalenka, the defending Cincinnati champion, secured her 49th win of the season and continues her pursuit of a 10th WTA 1000 title, relying on a powerful serve and taking risks at critical moments. Raducanu, despite the loss, showed strong form, notably surviving a 25-minute game with 13 deuces and winning more total points than Sabalenka. Sabalenka praised Raducanu's improvement and expressed the need for recovery after the intense match. In upcoming rounds, Sabalenka will face Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who advanced with a convincing win over American wild card Taylor Townsend. Other notable results include Sorana Cirstea progressing to meet third seed Iga Swiatek, who received a walkover into the round of 16.