Sara Bejlek delivered the biggest upset of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7), 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament. The 20-year-old Czech, ranked 35th, completed the victory in just under two hours on the outdoor hard courts in Mason, Ohio, according to L'Équipe and the official tournament schedule.
The opening set remained close throughout and Bejlek prevailed only after an extended tiebreak. Sabalenka then appeared to have restored control when she moved 4-1 ahead in the second set, but Bejlek won the next five games to finish the match in straight sets. AS reported that the comeback gave the Czech player the most important victory of her career.
Bejlek combined patient defense with changes of pace that repeatedly required Sabalenka to play an additional ball. The result was especially notable because of the difference in ranking and because Sabalenka entered as the top seed. The Belarusian had advanced through her previous round in straight sets, but she could not convert her lead into a deciding set against Bejlek.
The victory sends Bejlek into her first Cincinnati quarterfinal, where she will face American Madison Keys. Keys secured her place by beating China's Wang Xinyu 7-6, 6-4, according to AS. The official WTA page identifies Cincinnati as a WTA 1000 event with 1,000 ranking points available to the champion and a total financial commitment of $7.43 million.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ends another tournament before the semifinals as the hard-court season approaches its final Grand Slam. Same-day reports noted that she has not reached a semifinal since Berlin and that Cincinnati was her second consecutive round-of-16 exit. The timing increases attention on her preparation, with the US Open due to begin later in August.
Bejlek now has little recovery time before the quarterfinals on Thursday's schedule. A win over Keys would extend a breakthrough run that has already removed the highest-ranked player from the draw. The Cincinnati Open continues through August 23, when the singles finals are scheduled, while Sabalenka will turn her attention to New York.
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