Twice down break point while two games from victory against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina stepped up to serve. She had let victory slip through her fingers against Sabalenka two months earlier in Berlin, squandering four consecutive match points in a third-set tiebreak. She had suffered close losses from winning positions all year.

(Reuters) -Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was dismantled 6-1 6-4 on Friday by Elena Rybakina who powered into her first Cincinnati Open semi-final with a display of clinical serving. The Kazakh ninth seed delivered a brilliant performance to secure her seventh career win over a top-ranked player and set up a blockbuster clash with Poland's Iga Swiatek in a showdown of Wimbledon champions.

Aryna Sabalenka's Cincinnati Open title defense is over. The World No. 1 was eliminated by Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals Aug. 15.