Two nights after outlasting Emma Raducanu in a three-hour thriller, Aryna Sabalenka needed half that time to get the better of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in their fourth-round match Wednesday night.

The World No. 1 wrapped up a straight-set victory, 6-1, 7-5, in one hour and 20 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals and move one step closer to defending her Cincinnati Open title.

Her next obstacle? Elena Rybakina.

Rybakina came out on top in her own fourth-round match, a Top 10 clash against Madison Keys, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to set up the second meeting of 2025 between her and Sabalenka.

Cincinnati: Draws | Scores | Order of Play

Sabalenka dispatches in-form Bouzas Maneiro

After a relatively routine first set, nothing came easy for Sabalenka in the second.

The Belarusian used an early break to take a 4-2 advantage and appeared to be on her way to a straightforward win before Bouzas Maneiro won three straight games to take a 5-4 lead in the second set.

Bouzas Maneiro got within two points of winning the set and forcing a decider before Sabalenka rediscovered the level she had at the start of the match. 

“Jessica is a great player,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I knew coming into the night that I’d have to work for every point. She didn’t start well at the beginning, but then she found her rhythm and it was a really tough battle. I’m super happy to get this win in straight sets. I didn’t want to stay here for three hours, sorry guys.”

With the victory, Sabalenka becomes the first player to register 50 wins on the WTA Tour in 2025. It’s the third straight season she has tallied 50 or more wins.

She also becomes the first player to reach at least four consecutive Cincinnati quarterfinals since Simona Halep, who made six straight from 2013 to 2018.

Rybakina survives in three sets, beats Keys for third time

After a string of near-misses this season, it was only a matter of time before Rybakina scored a statement win in 2025.

That moment came Wednesday night in a Top 10 showdown against Keys, who had defeated Rybakina at the Australian Open earlier this year in three sets.

It was Rybakina claiming victory in a three-set thriller this time around, and in the process, she becomes just the second Top 10 player since 1990 to claim three comeback wins en route to a Tier 1/WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

The victory over Keys is Rybakina’s second Top 10 win of 2025, after coming from a set down to defeat Paula Badosa in Dubai in February. 

She’ll have another chance at a Top 10 win when she faces Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.

Sabalenka looks to extend her lead  in rivalry with Rybakina

While Rybakina is coming off a big win, it’s Sabalenka who holds the edge in this oft-played rivalry.

Sabalenka leads the series 7-4, and won their most recent meeting earlier this year in Berlin, 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6), to reach the semifinals on the grass.

However, one stat that favors Rybakina ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal: Neither player has won two in a row in the last six matches of this series.