Sabalenka starring in Cincinnati

While Fridays play didn’t start precisely on time, due to the effects of morning rain on the courts, the delay in Cincinnati wasn’t too long for the Western & Southern Open, relative to what had happened in previous days.

WTA Premier 5:

Third round

• Simona Halep (1) defeated Ash Barty (16) in straight sets 7-5 6-4, and Barty will rue the fact that she led 3-1 and 2-0 in the opening and second sets respectively.  It has become a worrying trend in Barty’s matches against the best players - I keep harping on it, but it is true that Ash still doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct when holding a clear edge, and a top ten ranking which has been promised the past year will remain just a promise unless things change on court.  Halep will meet unseeded Lesia Tsurenko in the quarter finals

• Elina Svitolina (5) ended the run of wildcard Amanda Anisimova 6-4 6-4
• Kiki Bertens defeated Anett Kontaveit 6-3 2-6 6-3, in a clash decided over two days.  She will play Svitolina in the quarter finals.

Quarter finals

• Petra Kvitová (8) defeated Elise Mertens (15) 7-5 5-7 6-3
• Simona Halep (1) trailed Lesia Tsurenko 1-4 and was down break points in the sixth game, but as is one of her strengths, she never lost faith and rattled off the next 10 games to lead 6-4 5-0.  Tsurenko broke the Romanian as she served for the match, but it was far too late for comebacks, and Halep waltzed to victory 6-4 6-1
• Kiki Bertens led Elina Svitolina (5) 6-4 5-2, after lagging behind 1-4 in the opening set.  The Dutch number one had a match point serving for victory, but it was saved by Svitolina who then converted a break point.  However, Bertens was unperturbed and used a second match point, this one on the Ukraine serve, to full effect.  The win, 6-4 6-3, took Kiki Bertens into a semi final with Petra Kvitová, the player she defeated in the third round of Montreal last week

• Aryna Sabalenka defeated Madison Keys (13) 6-3 6-4, and still eeeKeys played a good match, creating 10 break points.  She converted none of them, as Sabalenka served magnificently throughout, winning the key points.  Aryna broke once in each set, highly efficient since those. conversions came from just three opportunities.  This tournament alone has seen the Belarusian defeat Karolina Pliskova (9), Caroline Garcia (6) and now Keys (13) in successive matches - she now has to back it up in a semi final (her first at this level) against top seed Simona Halep 

Sabalenka is guaranteed to move from a ranking of 34 to 25, seven better than her previous career high.  If she makes the final it will be 22, and a title victory would see her jump into the top twenty.

ATP Masters 1000:

Third round

• David Goffin (11) defeated Kevin Anderson (6)
• Juan Martin del Potro (3) and Nick Kyrgios (15) shared the first two sets in a high quality match, brilliant serving from both.  However when the Argentine took a break after losing set two, delaying the start of set three by nine minutes, Kyrgios was angry, and instead of leaving that understandable annoyance on the sidelines, he took it on court.  del Potro was virtually gifted a break, the first in the entire match, and led 1-0.  The effort of the Australian dipped dramatically and del Potro rolled through to 5-1, a second break included.

Sadly the match ended in a whimper, Juan Martin del Potro winning 7-6(4) 6-7(6) 6-2.  Kyrgios behaved like a child in the final set - yes, the delay forced by del Potro was a tactic and uncalled for, but within the rules, and it worked.  A mature athlete would have dealt with it.  Nick didn’t.

del Potro will play David Goffin in the quarter finals.

• Novak Djokovic (10) eliminated the defending champion Grigor Dimitrov (5) 2-6 6-3 6-4 in a match delayed overnight.  He will play Milos Raonic in the quarter finals.  Both finalists from last year - Dimitrov and Kyrgios - have now exited this years tournament.
• Marin Cilic (7) defeated Karen Khachanov 7-6(5) 3-6 6-4, completing another match carried over from Thursday.  He will play Pablo Carreno Busta (13) in the quarter finals 
• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-4 6-3 in the final match unfinished from Thursday.  
• Roger Federer (1) defeated Leonardo Mayer 6-1 7-6(6) and will play Stan Wawrinka in an all Swiss quarter final

Quarter finals

• Marin Cilic (7) defeated Pablo Carreno Busta (13) 7-6(7) 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (10), after dropping serve and trailing 1-2 in the final set, rallied to win against Milos Raonic 7-5 4-6 6-3, and will play Marin Cilic in the semi finals 
• David Goffin (11) defeated Juan Martin del Potro (4) in two tie break sets 7-6(5) 7-6(4), after the pair had played third round matches earlier in the day.  
• Wildcard Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer (2) were level at 7-6(2) 6-7(6), with Federer serving at 30-0, when play was suspended.  Only a short break before Federer won 6-7(2) 7-6(6) 6-2, Wawrinka clearly following standing Swiss orders dictating he ultimately bow to Roger.  Semi final against David Goffin next for the second seed.

Thankfully the rain had held off and the tournament caught up with scheduling.