Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Cincinnati match.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka continues her push for the Cincinnati title. In the round of 16, she faces Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (No.42 WTA). The pair have already met on hard courts this year, with the Spaniard giving Sabalenka a real scare in a tight match (3:6, 5:7).
Aryna Sabalenka
In the previous round, Sabalenka was pushed to the limit by Emma Raducanu (No.39 WTA), eventually edging through (7:6, 4:6, 7:6). The Belarusian struggled badly on return, winning just 2 of 17 games on her opponent’s serve, and her composure wavered as she converted only 25% of break points.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Bouzas Maneiro has already played three matches in Cincinnati and arrived in the US straight after her run in Montreal, meaning she is currently match-sharp and in peak condition. She has shown steady improvement with each round, most recently dismantling Leylah Fernandez (No.26 WTA) in straight sets (6:3, 6:3).
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro Prediction
Sabalenka’s clash with Raducanu exposed that she is still some way off her best form. Bouzas Maneiro will be well aware of that and should look to make life as difficult as possible for the top seed. Even if she does not take a set, she has the tools to keep this competitive.
