The Kazakh-Serbian duo of Anna Danilina (6) and Aleksandra Krunic (5) supported the winning momentum of Elena Rybakina (2), who won her opening match at the WTA-1000 tournament in Cincinnati. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The three-time Grand Slam finalists defeated Ann Li (141) from the USA and Clara Tauson (76) from Denmark in the first round – 6:4, 6:2.
The key moment of the first set was the ninth game. At 4-4, Danilina and Krunic made a break and confirmed it on their serve.
In the second set, there was no fight. Making two breaks, the doubles masters crushed the obvious singles players. 6:4, 6:2 in 65 minutes. 59:36 – all points won.
The opponents of the second-seeded pair in the quarterfinal match have not yet been determined. It is only clear that they will be quite difficult. Either the experienced duo of Storm Hunter (Australia, 19)/Desirae Krawczyk (USA, 36), or the pair of Magali Kempen (Belgium, 52)/Alexandra Panova (Russia, 38).
The current WTA-1000 Cincinnati Open tournament is the 80th in history. The oldest tournament in the USA has never changed its location. The competitions are held on outdoor hard courts in Mason, a suburb of Cincinnati (Ohio). The prize fund of the women's Cincinnati Open 2026 is $7.43 million.
Over the years, the tournament has been won by Americans Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Belgian Kim Clijsters, Russian Maria Sharapova and other stars.
The current champion of Cincinnati is Iga Swiatek (5), who recently beat Rybakina in the final of the Toronto tournament. In the semifinal of Cincinnati Open 2025, the Polish tennis player also defeated the Kazakhstani – 7:5, 6:3. And in the final she beat Jasmine Paolini from Italy – 7:5, 6:4.
At the current tournament, Swiatek started with a match against Colombian Emiliana Arango (95), who in the first round defeated 46-year-old Venus Williams (615) – 6:2, 6:2. Iga left no chance for the threat to the elder Williams – 6:3, 6:0.
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (1), whom Rybakina is trying to catch up with in the WTA rankings, defeated Australian Talia Gibson (65) in her first match – 6:2, 7:6 (7:2).