Top seeds Andrey Rublev and Aryna Sabalenka faced determined challenges on Wednesday at the ATP and WTA Washington Open, but ultimately secured three-set victories to avoid upsets and advance to the next round.
World number eight Rublev, known for his powerful serve, fired 15 aces and rallied after a rain delay to defeat 20-year-old Frenchman Luca Van Assche 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The victory propelled him into the last 16 of the hardcourt tournament, serving as a crucial tune-up for the US Open, which begins on August 26.
“The first set I was playing really bad. I was missing without reason sometimes out of nowhere,” Rublev reflected. “When you’re playing horrible tennis, you feel like today is not your day, somehow you’re winning those matches, they are much more special than when you’re playing normal and winning much easier.”
Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka also faced a formidable opponent in 78th-ranked Kamilla Rakhimova, ultimately prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals. Sabalenka, ranked third in the world, had a first-round bye and was returning to competition after a right shoulder injury forced her withdrawal from Wimbledon. Her powerful game was on display as she unleashed 13 aces and 53 winners to secure victory after a hard-fought two hours and 46 minutes.
“Super happy to get this win,” Sabalenka said, acknowledging the difficulty of the match. “It was a really tough match for me, especially as I didn’t play for probably a month. That was a tough battle. She played such incredible tennis. “I had to really fight through it.”
Sabalenka’s next opponent will be either fellow Belarusian double Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, seeded sixth, or China’s Wang Yafan in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Rublev will face France’s 68th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech in the next round. Rinderknech advanced after China’s Shang Juncheng retired while leading 3-2 in their match. Rublev is aiming for his 17th career ATP Tour title, having already achieved victories this year in Madrid and Hong Kong. The 26-year-old Russian won his second ATP Masters title in May on Madrid clay, adding to his first Masters win at Monte Carlo last year.
Van Assche, ranked 118th, broke Rublev to take a 5-4 lead in the opening set and secured the set on his fifth ace of the match. The set lasted 42 minutes.
Rublev led 3-2 in the second set when rain interrupted the match. Hours later, when play resumed, he broke in the eighth game and took the set on his 11th ace.
“The rain delay, I was able to calm myself down, think about the match, understand what I was doing wrong,” Rublev said, highlighting the benefit of the pause.
Rublev then broke for a 3-2 lead in the third set and held serve to secure the win.
Sabalenka broke in the 11th game of the first set and held to capture the set in 67 minutes. Rakhimova, the 22-year-old Russian, broke in the final game of the second set on Sabalenka’s 41st unforced error to force a decider.
In the third set, Rakhimova sent a forehand wide, surrendering a break in the seventh game. Sabalenka held twice to clinch the victory.
“I was trying to keep focusing on myself in those key moments, trying to stay focused and aggressive and put as much pressure as I can on her,” Sabalenka said, outlining her approach to the crucial moments.
Britain’s 21-year-old Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, also advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating American Peyton Stearns 7-6(6), 6-2.
“I’m very pleased with how I managed to come through that,” Raducanu said, expressing her satisfaction with her performance.
