After missing a backhand to fall behind 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak of Wednesday night’s round of 16 encounter with Sara Bejlek, Aryna Sabalenka jammed her racquet into the court in disgust, her dampener flying out into the blue abyss of Cincinnati’s Stadium Court.
Her dampener now lost, Sabalenka spent a minute hunting for it, along with three eager ball kids. She never found the dampener, or a way back into the match.
20-year-old Bejlek took the opening set in 67 minutes (from down a break twice), even after Sabalenka saved two set points, then rose to the occasion to finish off the World No.1 in straight sets, 7-6(7) 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in Cincinnati.
“It feels incredible, I’m super happy, I don’t have any words,” Bejlek said after notching her first career Top 10 win (she had never taken a set from a Top 10 player) . “I was just playing what I was feeling – I wasn’t really thinking.”
Sabalenka had a 4-1 lead in the second set as well, but credit the 5’3” southpaw, who kept pushing the gas pedal, playing with nothing to lose.
4-1 became 4-3. Then a hold for 4-4, and soon a fourth break of the Sabalenka serve for 5-4.
Bejlek, a dynamic mover with a heavy topspin forehand and plenty of courtcraft, found ways to make Sabalenka uncomfortable all night, and her hard work paid off as she slammed the door shut with a love hold to send the 2024 Cincinnati champion packing.
Sabalenka, increasingly agitated in the tough moments, wasn’t able to settle things down as the games raced away. From 4-1 up to 4-4 in the second set she won just four of 16 points.
She had two games points while serving at 4-4, but failed to hang on.
A stunning Cincinnati debut from 35th-ranked Bejlek, who will face Madison Keys in the quarterfinals on Friday. Bejlek, who won Abu Dhabi as a qualifier earlier this year, made her Top 50 debut on February 9, after that title.
Bejlek finished with 17 winners and 22 unforced errors, while Sabalenka hit 39 winners and 43 unforced errors.
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