Sabalenka crashes out of Cincinnati after Bejlek stunner
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered another early exit ahead of the US Open after 35th-ranked Czech teenager Sara Bejlek stunned her 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Masters. Sabalenka, who had eased through her previous match, found herself outplayed by the 20-year-old Bejlek, whose exceptional movement frustrated the top seed in a contest that stretched past midnight into…
Aryna Sabalenka, the current World No. 1, suffered an early exit from the Cincinnati Masters after being defeated by Sara Bejlek in the fourth round. The 35th-ranked Czech teenager stunned the top seed with a 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 victory. Bejlek's exceptional movement frustrated Sabalenka throughout the match, which extended past midnight into Thursday.
Despite appearing in control after the opening set, Sabalenka lost her momentum in the tiebreak and was eventually outplayed by Bejlek. The Czech player broke Sabalenka three times in the second set and served out the match to love, claiming her first victory over a top-10 player. Bejlek will now face American Madison Keys in the quarter-finals.
Sabalenka's defeat adds to a frustrating run of early exits from major tournaments, including the Toronto Masters, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros.
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