For the first time in their 12 career meetings, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-3 6-3, to advance to the Cincinnati Open final, where she will face Jessica Pegula, who is riding a nine-match winning streak.
Having lost both her 2024 clashes with world No. 1 Swiatek in the finals of Madrid and Rome, Sabalenka finally broke the trend and recorded her first-ever straight-set victory over the Pole.
In the first set, Sabalenka secured a crucial break in the sixth game and maintained her lead, closing out the set with a love hold. In the second set, the third seed built a commanding 5-1 lead but struggled to convert nine match points across two games before finally clinching the victory on her tenth match point during Swiatek’s serve.