By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 17, 2026
Photo credit: National Bank Open Facebook
The road to the top of tennis is an arduous journey.
World No. 2 Elena Rybakina continues to make tracks toward the top.
Rybakina repelled a resilient Magdalena Frech, 6-4, 7-6(2) to advance to the Cincinnati Open fourth round.
Continuing her hunt to surpass top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and seize the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, Rybakina will face either 14th-seeded Diana Shnaider or French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska for a quarterfinal spot.
Earlier, defending champion Iga Swiatek saved seven of eight break points, roaring past nemesis Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Swiatek beat Sakkari for the sixth time in 10 meetings.
It was Swiatek’s eighth straight win coming after her 6-2, 6-3 thumping of Rybakina in the Toronto final for her 12th WTA 1000 championship.
Empowered by her 27th tournament title in Canada, Swiatek improved her 2026 record to 31-12.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Rybakina, who trails Sabalenka by 474 ranking points, kept calm in a tempestuous match that was twice interrupted by rain delays, saw the Kazakh miss finishing shots at times and face the frustration of Frech fending off 15 of 18 break points overall, including erasing 12 straight break points in one stretch.
Rybakina led 5-4, 40-15 when the first rain delay struck.
When play resumed, Rybakina ripped a few forehands to break Frech at 30 and take a one-set lead.
After the second rain delay, play resumed about 4:40 p.m. local time with Frech serving at 4-6, 3-4, deuce. The Pole saved one break point but floated a drive long to face a third break point of the game. Frech fired a serve winner down the middle, fending off a ninth consecutive break point.
Still, Rybakina ripped a two-handed return winner down the line to draw the eighth game even for a sixth deuce. Forced to counter off her back foot, Frech sent a forehand lone to face her fourth break point of the game. Rybakina had a clear look at an open expanse of court but overhit a backhand down the line as the game extended to a seventh deuce.
A stubborn Frech drained a pair of errors earning the hardest-fought hold of the match.
An impatient Rybakina was trying to end points prematurely and paid the price. Rybakina misfired a forehand down the line, breaking for 5-4.
Resetting, Rybakina pounced on a short ball and flicked a forehand drive volley winner for triple break point in the 10th game.
Surely, Frech would finally crack, right?
Frech saved two more break points—she had erased 12 in a row by then—before missing a backhand down the line long as Rybakina broke back at the 97-minute mark.
A match of wild momentum shifts took another dramatic turn. Rybakina fell into a triple break point hole of her own only to dig out with some heavy hitting.
The Australian Open champion fought off four break points in all then curled a crosscourt forehand off the sideline rescuing the hold for 6-5.
In a gritty game, the 41st-ranked Pole denied three match points, stinging the T serve on the Ad side with conviction. Frech fought through the stress with a determined hold to drag the set into a tiebreaker.
The Stuttgart champion smacked a forehand down the line for a 3-2 tiebreaker lead. When Frech sprayed a forehand, the Kazakh edged ahead 4-2 as an ominous dark cloud cluster converged over the court.
Frech narrowly missed a backhand down the line then netted a backhand down the line as Rybakina stretched her lead to 6-2.
On her fourth match point, Rybakina closed when Frech’s forehand missed the mark ending a sticky, twice suspended match, in precisely two hours.
Rybakina improved to 41-12 on the season, matching Jessica Pegula and Elina Svitolina for most wins on the WTA Tour this year.
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