WATCH: Sabalenka Takes Control Of Towel To Dry The Court After Rain Break
WTA
Aryna Sabalenka was in no mood to hang around on Porsche Court and took charge of the situation by helping to dry the court after a rain interruption.
Second seed Sabalenka was playing Russia's Daria Kasatkina in the Round of 16 in Cincinnati, but there were no fewer than three rain interruptions that brought the match to a halt. Sabalenka was a game away from taking the opening set when rain fell heavily and brought the match to a standstill.
It didn't take long before play would resume, and Sabalenka would close out the first set with a love hold, 6-3. Sabalenka was prepared to serve in the second game of the second set and noticed that the lines were wet, before it became apparent it was another rain shower. However, both players remained on the court, and Sabalenka assisted the ball kids at the break.
The tournament has drying machines in place and used them in this case, but some spots had been left out, which needed some manning work with the towels, and Sabalenka wholeheartedly took part in lending her services and helping to overcome the annoying interruption.
The Belarusian ceded a break on resumption again, being broken to 15. But Kasatkina was hardly threatening on her own serve and was broken twice in her final two games of the set to hand Sabalenka a straightforward 6-3, 6-3 win that took just over one and a half hours.
Sabalenka has now set up a rematch of this year's Wimbledon semifinal against Ons Jabeur in the last eight. The Tunisian was certainly in good spirits to see the match play out for as long as it did when talking in her post-match press conference, even though Sabalenka managed to close out the match in straight sets.
"I feel confident. I mean, I want to go as far as I can in this tournament. Yeah, it's just never easy around here. Hopefully, Dash and Sabalenka will play until midnight or even more."
