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.
In the Cincinnati Open final, Sabalenka will face sixth seed Jessica Pegula, who advanced by defeating Paula Badosa 6-2 3-6 6-3. Fresh off her triumph at the Canadian Open, Pegula will aim for her tenth consecutive match win and the Toronto-Cincinnati double.
