Aryna Sabalenka convincingly defeated world number one Iga Swiatek and advanced to her first final of the Cincinnati Open.
Sabalenka, who is expected to move up to second in the rankings after the tournament, secured her fourth career win – and first of the season – against Swiatek in 12 matches thanks to a fiery, aggressive approach.
Sabalenka managed to break Swiatek’s serve five times and won 6-3, 6-3. However, she briefly threatened to let her opponent back into the game when she wasted nine match points before finally converting the tenth.
Leading 5-1 in the second set, Sabalenka quickly took a 40-0 lead on Swiatek’s serve, converting three of those match points and scoring four more in an epic match that ended in deuce six times.
Sabalenka then suffered a break on serve for the match after wasting two more match points when Swaitek suddenly threatened a stunning comeback. But Sabalenka fought back one more chance against the Pole’s serve in the following service game and finally put the matter to bed.
“That was definitely a difficult moment in the game,” said Sabalenka Sky Sports. “I kept telling myself that she is number 1 in the world and that she will fight until the last point.
“I just tried to remember to stay aggressive, keep putting pressure on them and hopefully get that win.
The Belarusian will now play her ninth WTA 1000 final on Monday and look for her fifth victory, facing either sixth-seeded American Jessica Pegula or Spaniard Paula Badosa, who will battle for the other final spot on Sunday night.
What’s next on Sky Sports Tennis?
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