Aryna Sabalenka Starts Cincinnati Season with Win: Final Score 6:2, 7:6

Aryna Sabalenka had a strong start to the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, with a prize fund of nearly $7.5 million. In the second round of the Ohio tournament, the Minsk native faced Australian Talia Gibson. The match lasted almost two hours. The final score was 6:2, 7:6, in favor of the world number one. The Belarusian hit 12 aces and also committed two double faults.

Aryna Sabalenka, world number one:

"I was incredibly tired. It was incredibly hot. I hope you, the spectators, are drinking a lot of water. The weather was absolutely crazy. Talia played absolutely wonderfully, especially in the second set. I thought she became more aggressive. She was putting more pressure on my serve. I'm glad I stayed calm and was able to finish the match in straight sets."