(Reuters) -World number one Aryna Sabalenka kept her Cincinnati Open title defence alive by claiming a 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(5) victory over Emma Raducanu in a marathon third-round clash on Monday, while Taylor Fritz advanced with a straight-sets win over Lorenzo Sonego.

World number Aryna Sabalenka battled past Emma Raducanu in a thrilling third-round match at the Cincinnati Open, sealing victory in over three hours of intense, edge-of-the-seat tennis.

Raducanu was the one who made the better start as she opened a 2-0 first-set lead before blowing it and the opener ultimately went into a tie-break, where Sabalenka won five points in a row to open a 6-1 lead before converting her third set point.