Cincinnati (AFP) – Iga Swiatek reached the final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open for the first time on Sunday, surging past Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in a match played in sweltering summer conditions. Poland’s Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, recovered an early break in the opening set and powered away to beat 2022 All England winner Rybakina, who had swept past world number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.
Swiatek, a former world number one now ranked third, had twice stalled at the semi-final stage at the pre-US Open event, but booked her title chance on her third opportunity. She will vie for the title on Monday against either seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini or Veronika Kudermetova.
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“It was a tough match,” Swiatek said. “At the beginning it was crazy, so hot and we were playing so fast.” The six-time Grand Slam champion recovered from 3-5 down in the opening set, sweeping the last four games. Swiatek jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second, sandwiching a pair of love service games around a break of Rybakina’s serve.
But Kazakhstan’s Rybakina made her work for it, fending off three break points in the sixth game and saving a pair of match points in the eighth before Swiatek closed it out a game later. “I was playing with intensity and quality,” Swiatek said. “I feel good about my game right now and would not change anything.”
Swiatek said she was prepared for a tough final, no matter who she faces. “Anyone who is there will have been playing well,” she said. “Each of them play completely different tennis. I’ll have to figure out my tactics. I’ve progressed well at this tournament and I want to continue that.”
Before her 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final win over Amanda Anisimova last month, Swiatek had been in a trophy drought with her last prior title coming in June 2024 at Roland Garros. Another victory on Monday would be a strong springboard into the US Open, where first-round play starts on August 24.
© 2024 AFP
