World number two Carlos Alcaraz fought off a fierce challenge from Andrey Rublev to reach the semi-finals of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday as women's defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was sent crashing by Elena Rybakina.

Spain's Alcaraz broke Rublev in the final game of a tense duel to emerge a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 winner and will face either third-seeded German Alexander Zverev or fifth-seeded American Ben Shelton for a place in the final.

But Sabalenka had no answer for 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina, who beat the top-ranked Belarusian 6-1, 6-4 to book a semi-final meeting with Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek -- a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Anna Kalinskaya.

Alcaraz was broken while serving for victory at 5-4 in th final set against 11th-ranked Rublev, but he found his focus and used his

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