Aryna Sabalenka advanced to her first WTA Cincinnati Open final after comprehensively defeating Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-3, and will take on Jessica Pegula for the title.

Sabalenka was felled in the final four on three previous occasions, including in the last two events.

But managed to pull off her first ever straight-sets victory over her Polish rival, as confirmed by the WTA.

World No. 1 Swiatek was also bidding for her first final in Cincinnati but a paltry 20% success rate on second-serve played a big part in her downfall.

Sabalenka did not have it all her own way towards the end, and was relieved to get over the line on her 10th match point.

“It sounds like I broke the wall, finally,” Sabalenka said of beating Swiatek. “Of course, I’m super happy to be in the final after such a tough battle against Iga.

“I kept telling myself, that’s why she’s world No. 1. She’s going to fight till the last point so you have got to stay aggressive and keep doing your job.”

With the win, Sabalenka will move up to No. 2 in the world rankings on Monday.

“I feel comfortable being in the bottom half of the net, but I’ll be more comfortable to see myself on the top half of the net,” Sabalenka said in response to being told she will rise to No. 2 in the world. “I’m trying my best to get there.”

Sabalenka took an early advantage with a break to love to make it 2-0, but then succumbed to an immediate break back.

The Belarusian quickly restored her two-game lead and comfortably closed out the opening set in 35 minutes, finishing with a hold to love.

An inter-set shower delayed the start of the second as Sabalenka complained about slippery lines.

When play resumed, Swiatek did not fare much better, fending off a break point in the first game but eventually surrendering her serve in the third and fifth.

The Pole managed to keep herself in the match in an astonishing seventh game, navigating a total of seven match points to give herself a glimmer of hope.

That glimmer expanded to a ray with Swiatek’s second break of the match, but not before she was forced to survive two more match points.

But Sabalenka did not pass up her 10th match point in the subsequent game, fighting back to deuce and finally getting over the line with a well-placed backhand return.

A resurgent Jessica Pegula wrapped up her ninth win in a row, beating former world No. 2 Paula Badosa 6-2 3-6 6-3 in a weather-disrupted semi-final.

The American came into this tournament fresh from defending her 2023 WTA Toronto crown, which followed her exit from the Olympics women’s singles event at the last-32 stage.

But Badosa has enjoyed a revival this year too, coming back from a stress fracture in her back to win the Washington Open this month, her first title in more than two years.

Pegula emerged triumphant, and was proud of her performance in the rapidly changing weather conditions.

“I’m so happy right now,” she said. “That was really tough with the conditions. I’ve been playing well, competing well, and it is paying off.

“I just needed to not get frustrated. She was serving so well there for a while and she was so hard.”

Pegula breezed through a rain-disrupted opening set in 38 minutes, snatching three breaks of serve with Badosa only managing to conjure up one break point in the same timeframe.

And the Spaniard offered up Pegula’s fourth break of the match at the beginning of the second set, eventually cancelled out as a Badosa break brought it back to 2-2.

A lengthy stoppage due to rain seemed to disrupt the American’s rhythm, as Badosa broke on their return to court and swiftly levelled the sets.

Each player flourished on their serve thereafter, until Pegula claimed a crucial break just as the match looked to be heading to a tense tie-break.

And the 30-year-old survived a break point in the following game to secure the victory.

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Source: Tampa Bay Times