Aryna Sabalenka needed 10 match points to seal a 6-3 6-3 win over Iga Świątek and book her place in the Cincinnati Open final, where she will face the USA’s Jessica Pegula on Monday.
It is the first time in her career that Sabalenka has beaten Świątek in straight sets and it’s the Belarusian’s first victory over the world No. 1 this season after two WTA 1000 final defeats. “I wasn’t overrushing things. I was trusting myself a lot, and I wasn’t trying to overhit the ball,” Sabalenka said, per the WTA. “I was just trying to stay there, put as much pressure as I can on her, and I was really focused on my serve.
She had never previously reached the final in Cincinnati and will now move up the rankings to No. 2 in the world. American Pegula looks to achieve rare feat Pegula, meanwhile, has the chance to become the first woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1973 to win both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in the same season. The American defeated a resurgent Paula Badosa 6-2 3-6 6-3 on Sunday in a rain-delayed clash to secure her ninth straight win after her victory in Toronto last week.
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