Hilarious scenes at Cincinnati Open as Aryna Sabalenka dries court herself after rain while drying machine puzzles Daria Kasatkina

Aryna Sabalenka took matters into her own hands and dried the court during the rain delay in her third-round match against Daria Kasatkina at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday. Kasatkina, meanwhile, appeared perplexed when new drying machines were brought onto the court.

Sabalenka defeated 14th seed Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3 to increase her head-to-head lead over the Russian to 4-2. However, the match was not without its challenges, as it was interrupted by three separate rain delays.

The first interruption occurred when the score was 5-2 in the opening set. But Aryna Sabalenka was unfazed by the break and she held serve swiftly on returning to the court, to secure a one-set advantage.

The second set commenced with the two players exchanging breaks. However, it was Sabalenka who seized control in the seventh game. The World No. 2 capitalized on her fourth break point, delivering a backhand return winner that propelled her to a 4-3 lead.

Sabalenka secured another break after that, ultimately sealing the match in straight sets. The Belarusian finished the match with an impressive success rate of five out of nine break points.

During one of the rain delays, Aryna Sabalenka took the initiative to assist in drying the court while waiting for the match to resume. Armed with a towel, she meticulously attended to the spots that had been overlooked by the drying machines.

Watch the clip below:

Meanwhile, Daria Kasatkina found herself gawking at the drying machine which was being used on the court. She looked bewildered as the machine whirred past her. The Russian even approached the match umpire Kader Nouni to enquire about the machine.

"I'm looking forward to having another great match against Aryna Sabalenka" - Ons Jabeur on facing the World No. 2 in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open

Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur at the Wimbledon Championships

Ons Jabeur will square off against Aryna Sabelenka in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Cincinnati Open on Friday.

Jabeur reached her first hardcourt quarterfinal since January as Donna Vekic retired from their Round of 16 match due to a viral illness. In a post-match interview, Ons Jabeur expressed her excitement about facing Sabalenka.

The Tunisian further stated that their previous encounter in the Wimbledon semifinals, where Jabeur emerged victorious, may spur Sabalenka on.

"At this level you're going to meet with Aryna [or] with players like her all the time," Jabeur said. "I'm looking forward to having another great match against her. I know she didn't forgive me for Wimbledon semifinals, so it's gonna be a fun match, for sure. A lot of emotions in that match, but looking forward."

"I love to play players like [Sabalenka]. I love to have that kind of competition, you know, that makes us the players that we are today," she added.