Elena Rybakina survived a frustrating afternoon against Magdalena Frech at the Cincinnati Open, but reaching the Round of 16 came with plenty of struggle. The second-seeded Kazakh defeated Frech 6-4, 7-6(7/2), although two rain interruptions made the contest a stop-start battle.

Rybakina needed two hours on court, with both players being forced off after nine games of the opening set and again during the seventh game of the second. The constant interruptions left her dealing with clouds, humidity, and a match that repeatedly lost its rhythm.

“It was a crazy day, to be honest, coming out every time into clouds and humidity. I felt that I was on top of the ball in the tie-break, but it was a difficult one,” Rybakina said.

The difficult conditions became even more evident when Rybakina failed to close out the match in the 12th game. She had three match points on Frech’s serve but could not convert them, allowing the Polish player to force a tiebreak.

As stated in the post-match interview, Rybakina herself couldn’t believe how people left there. And for her, it was a very difficult one.

Rybakina eventually settled the contest in the decider, winning the tiebreak 7-2 and taking her fourth match point. She was able to finish the job barely 10 minutes before another bout of rain arrived, according to the AFP report.

The victory also came after a demanding week in Toronto, where Rybakina reached the final before losing to Iga Swiatek. Her Canadian campaign included several three-set matches, making the physical and mental demands of another disrupted contest even greater.

How Rybakina stayed patient through the storm

The rain was not the only factor Rybakina had to manage. With more clouds appearing around the court, she knew another interruption could arrive at any moment, but she chose not to let the weather dictate her approach.

“I saw the clouds, but I was trying not to rush because it never ends good when you rush,” Rybakina said, as reported by WTA.

That decision became particularly important after the missed match points. Rather than trying to force a quick finish, the second seed stayed patient and played through the tiebreak.

She later explained that she felt she was hitting the ball well during those final points, even though the situation remained difficult. Rybakina won the last six points of the tiebreak to finally put the match away.

The victory sets up a Round of 16 clash with Diana Shnaider, marking their first meeting on hard courts. Their previous encounter came four months ago in the Round of 16 at Stuttgart.

For Rybakina, the Cincinnati win was therefore less about an easy passage and more about maintaining her composure through an afternoon where almost nothing came smoothly.

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