Ohio (USA), Aug. 16 -- Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka fell to a 6-1 6-4 defeat by Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.
The Kazakh dominated the opening set and racked up 11 aces against the world number one before sealing her victory in 74 minutes.
"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," Rybakina said.
"I served really well. If she had been serving well it would have been a totally different match. It was also intense from the baseline. I just hope to continue like this."
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, will now face this year's All England Club champion in the last four - as Iga Swiatek beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4, according to a BBC news.
Poland's Swiatek, ranked third in the world, was alw...