Andrey Rublev has spent the North American hard-court swing building momentum, and the arrival of Marat Safin in his on-site team is set to coincide with the next chapter. Rublev followed a semifinal in Los Cabos with back-to-back quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinnati, and the coach’s visa issues that kept Safin away from the U.S. have now been resolved.

Dinara Safina confirmed the development on a Russian-language podcast with Anna Chakvetadze. “(Yes), he’s going to pick (up his passport) on the 13th.” When Chakvetadze followed up—“So, Marat Safin will be with Andrey Rublev at the US Open?”—Safina confirmed again.

Safin has been advising from a distance through the summer after officially joining the team for the clay season. Rublev has spoken openly about on-court and off-court changes this year, including a greater willingness to finish points at the net and a focus on mental health. “Well, for sure I did huge improvements, but in the end it’s daily work, daily routine, daily challenge,” he said. “(You need) to be aware (of yourself), and it’s very challenging because it’s easy to do everything automatic.”

There has been staffing turnover as well. Rublev told Tennis.com he parted ways with Alberto Martin after Rome; Fernando Vicente remains head coach. “We have a really good relationship with him,” Rublev said. “Alberto is… really one of the nicest guys that I ever met. He’s a really amazing coach. We didn’t finish nothing in a bad way or something like that, but yeah we go our separate ways after Rome.”

Rublev has praised Safin’s perspective. “Everything is great,” Rublev said. “I like a lot his advices—just in general, the things that he sees, the way he sees those things, and that’s it. Hopefully he’s coming to US Open and we will have more memories.”

On court in Cincinnati, the No. 9 seed has enjoyed a run that includes some personal payback. He heads into a Friday quarterfinal against No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Rublev in the Wimbledon fourth round and extended his head-to-head lead to 3-1 after rallying from a set down. “(I learned) that I must keep working, that I’m on the right path and this is the level that I need to aim for to be able to compete,” Rublev said. “At that level, one or two points and you get broken. Against players like that, you have to play at that level for four and a half hours without losing focus even slightly. That’s what I’m aiming for.”

The Cincinnati quarterfinal between No. 3 Alexander Zverev and No. 6 Ben Shelton represents the first meeting of Top 10 players in the men’s draw at this event. Shelton arrives on a nine-match winning streak that includes his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto last week and has carried him into another Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Cincinnati.

For Shelton this is the first time he has reached back-to-back Masters 1000 quarterfinals. His recent run also included a straight-sets victory over No. 4-ranked Taylor Fritz in Canada. Shelton’s two best career wins to date came against No. 4-ranked opponents: he beat then-No. 4 Jannik Sinner in Shanghai in 2023 and he beat the No. 4-ranked Taylor Fritz last week in Canada. Shelton has not yet beaten a Top 3 player.

Zverev, by contrast, has been dominant in their head-to-head. The German has won all three of their previous meetings. Their first encounter came in the same round in Cincinnati a year ago, a close match that Zverev won 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. They met twice more this year: Zverev took the Munich final 6-2, 6-4 and followed that with a 7-6 (8), 7-6 (1) victory in the Stuttgart semifinals.

The matchup presents a stylistic and narrative contrast: Shelton’s momentum and recent title run versus Zverev’s clean record in their meetings and experience closing tight matches. The official estimated start time for this quarterfinal is 7:00 p.m. ET, Friday, August 15.

This contest will determine who advances deeper into the Cincinnati draw and could shape expectations heading into the US Open swing. With Zverev holding a 3-0 advantage and Shelton seeking to extend a nine-match streak that began with his run to a first Masters 1000 trophy, the quarterfinal has clear storylines and tangible stakes.

Two of the tour’s biggest hitters meet Friday with a place in the Cincinnati semifinals at stake. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina bring a rivalry defined by close margins and heavy hitting to this quarterfinal, with an estimated start time of 12:10 p.m. ET, Friday, August 15.

Sabalenka holds a 7-4 edge in the head-to-head, but the numbers understate how tight this matchup has been. Rybakina has won at least a set in all 11 of their career meetings, and their recent Berlin quarterfinal remains a vivid example of how slender the difference can be. Rybakina held quadruple match point in that match, only for Sabalenka to turn the deciding breaker with a remarkable run. Sabalenka won six points in a row from 6-2 down in the third set tie-break to prevail in that one, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6).

Cincinnati has been a productive stop for Sabalenka. She is the reigning champion here and is trying to reach the semifinals at this event for the fourth consecutive year. Rybakina, by contrast, is pursuing a first trip to the Cincinnati semifinals in her career.

Tactically, the match will again hinge on serving power and the ability to convert quick opportunities on return games. Both players have produced fast, aggressive exchanges throughout their rivalry, and few points are surrendered without a fight.

For readers following the tournament, the complete Cincinnati bracket is available for reference. The quarterfinal sets up as one of the weekend’s most anticipated encounters given the recent history between these two and the stakes of a semifinal berth.

Photo: © 2025 Robert Prange