By Chris Oddo | Wednesday August 16, 2017
Ekaterina Makarova saved a match point and converted an eighth of her own to hand Angelique Kerber yet another heartbreaking loss at the Western and Southern Open on Wednesday in Cincinnati.
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The Russian had a pair of match points while serving at 5-3 in the third set but lost a wild 10-minute game that left her gasping for air—and Kerber back on serve. The German, who had a small chance of regaining the No.1 ranking this week in Cincinnati, held to get back on serve and the pair proceeded to a third-set breaker after two more holds of serve.
In the breaker Kerber had a match point but saw it go begging. She also battled fiercely, saving five more match points from Makarova before finally yielding, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(11).
Makarova advances to play Sloane Stephens in the round of 16. The American eased past a hobbled Petra Kvitova (right thigh issue), 6-2, 6-3, for her second win over Kvitova in as many weeks. Stephens, playing in just her fourth event since returning from a year off due to foot surgery, improves to 6-3 on the season and 10-5 lifetime at Cincinnati.
American Madison Keys was also a winner. She defeated Russia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in 50 minutes to set up a round of 16 encounter with No.4-seeded Garbine Muguruza.
Keys cracked seven aces and saved both break points she faced to improve to 3-0 lifetime against Kasatkina.
It wasn’t all good for the American women on Wednesday in Cincinnati. No.9-seeded Venus Williams was knocked off by Australian qualifier Ashleigh Barty, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
Elsewhere, No.6-seeded Caroline Wozniacki eased past Elena Vesnina, 6-2, 6-4 to improve her WTA-best win total to 47 with the win and will face Barty in the round of 16.
No.8-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, No.11-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, No.15-seeded Anastasija Sevastova, Julia Goerges, Camila Giorgi and Carla Suarez Navarro were also winners on Wednesday.