In one of the biggest surprises of the Cincinnati Masters, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was stunned by unseeded Czech player Sara Bejlek, who triumphed 7‑6 (9/7), 6‑4 to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Sabalenka surged ahead in the opening set, leading 5‑1 in the tiebreak, but Bejlek displayed remarkable composure to snatch the set in just over an hour. In the second set, Bejlek broke Sabalenka three times and closed with an ace, sealing a straight‑sets victory.
The defeat marks another setback for Sabalenka, who has struggled in recent knockout stages. After winning the Miami Open in March, she lost to Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarterfinals and fell to Naomi Osaka in the Wimbledon round of 16. With the US Open starting August 30, the Belarusian faces mounting pressure to rediscover her form.
Bejlek, ranked 35th, called the win “incredible,” adding: “I believed in myself no matter what. I tried not to be nervous and just play.” The Czech star, who won the Abu Dhabi hard‑court title earlier this year, now faces Madison Keys of the United States in the quarterfinal.
