Sabalenka beats Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final

Aryna Sabalenka defeated world number one Iga Swiatek for the first time this season to reach the Cincinnati Open final.

The pair had met twice before in 2024, in the finals of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, but Sabalenka had lost both.

On Sunday, after failing to convert nine match points, Belarusian Sabalenka, who will become the world number two on Monday, finally got the better of her rival 6-3 6-3.

The match was also the first time Sabalenka, 26, had beaten Swiatek, 23, in straight sets.

“It sounds like I broke the wall finally,” Sabalenka, who is now in her first Cincinnati Open final, said when asked how being a finalist sounded.

“I’m super happy. After such a tough battle against Iga, I’m super happy with the win.”

She will play the winner of the other semi-final between American Jessica Pegula and Spain’s Paula Badosa in Monday’s final.