Sabalenka cruises through as Medvedev falls to Nakashima at Cincinnati Open

What the report says

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Masters with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over China’s Wang Xinyu, taking just 54 minutes to complete the match. The world No. 1 and top seed lost only four games, continuing a strong run at the WTA 1000 event. Al Jazeera reported that the victory was Sabalenka’s 45th consecutive win at Masters 1000 level, and she next meets Czech player Sara Bejlek.

The day also brought a major upset in the men’s draw, where Brandon Nakashima defeated fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7(3/7), 7-6(7/4), 6-1. Nakashima, who reached the final in Montreal the previous week, trailed in both the first and second sets but recovered after saving three match points before taking control of the deciding set. The result is a significant boost for the American and a setback for Medvedev, one of the tournament’s leading seeds.

Elsewhere, Coco Gauff beat Ann Li in straight sets, though she was pushed harder in the second set than the first. Mirra Andreeva also advanced after a tighter-than-expected second set, while Elina Svitolina withdrew before her match because of an ankle injury.

Other winners included Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Nuno Borges. In broader context, the Cincinnati Open is one of the major hard-court tune-up events ahead of the US Open, so results here can shape both seeding and momentum for the season’s final Grand Slam.