Aryna Sabalenka reveals her main focus at the Cincinnati Open after latest win
Aryna Sabalenka was back to her brilliant best as she dispatched Wang Xinyu in less than an hour to confirm her place in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open.
Sabalenka has struggled throughout the summer months on the clay and grass and she hasn’t tasted a WTA Tour title victory since her win at the Miami Open in March.
She is currently locked in a battle for the world No 1 spot against Elena Rybakina and she showed her best tennis as she beat Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.
Speaking on-court after the victory, Sabalenka said: “To get this win in under an hour [is] an insane result and I’m so happy to be through. I think I really trusted myself and I was going for my shots without overthinking. That was the weapon of tonight’s match.”
In a later interview with The Tennis Channel, Sabalenka explained her motivations are coming from within to try and regain the form that saw her dominate the WTA Tour for the past two seasons.
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“[I’m] just trying to build myself back together,” she said after beating Wang Xinyu. “It’s been a little bit of a down the hill road during the summer.
“So, right now, we’re just trying to build everything back together and then we’ll think what else we can add in my game.”
Sabalenka set up a fourth round match with Sara Bejlek, who defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in her third round match.
The two players are yet to play on the WTA Tour in their careers, but Bejlek has proved herself as one of the most exciting rising star’s in the women’s game this season.
The Czech star won her maiden WTA Tour title earlier this year at the Abu Dhabi Open, which coincidentally came against Alexandrova in the final.
As Sabalenka has now reached the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open, she has given herself some breathing room in keeping her top spot on the WTA Tour.
As a result of Sabalenka’s victory against Wang Xinyu, Rybakina will now need to win the Cincinnati Open in order to have a chance of becomign the world No 1 at the tournament.
Rybakina is set to play Diana Shnaider in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open and she can not play Sabalenka until the final at the very earliest.
One thing’s for sure, however, if Sabalenka continued to play in the same way she did against Wang Xinyu, she will be the heavy favourite to stay at the summit of the WTA Tour.
