Rybakina Retires Injured as Swiatek Reaches Cincinnati Semi-Finals

Elena Rybakina retired with a left ankle injury during her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Iga Swiatek, ending her latest attempt to overtake Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the women’s rankings. BBC Sport reported that Rybakina stopped after only five games, sending defending champion Swiatek into the semi-finals.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDttZof7qXI

The second-seeded Kazakh needed to reach the Cincinnati final to replace Sabalenka as world number one. That opportunity had opened after Sabalenka, the two-time defending US Open women’s champion, was beaten by Sara Bejlek in the fourth round on Wednesday. Rybakina, however, was unable to complete her next match.

Rybakina was trailing 4-1 when she requested a medical timeout after pulling up at deuce. Following a consultation with the trainer, the Australian Open champion played one more point and then retired. She said the ankle had troubled her for an extended period but had appeared under control before one movement and landing caused a new problem. An MRI was planned to establish the extent of the injury.

Swiatek, who also defeated Rybakina in the Canadian Open final the previous week, will play American world number three Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. The Polish second seed is trying to become the second woman since 2004 to retain the Cincinnati title, following Serena Williams, who won in 2014 and 2015. Swiatek expressed concern for Rybakina and pointed to the US Open, which begins on Sunday, August 30, as the next priority.

In the men’s draw, Flavio Cobolli recovered from a set down to beat American Tommy Paul 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Italian broke at 5-4 in the deciding set to secure his first Masters 1000 semi-final. Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, will next face Arthur Fils.

Fils reached the last four with a 64-minute victory over Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante and did not face a break point. According to BBC Sport, the result made him the first Frenchman since Guy Forget in 1991 to reach three Masters 1000 semi-finals in one season. Fils had returned in February after an eight-month injury absence.