Aryna Sabalenka needs 10 match points but dominates World No.1 Iga Swiatek to seal Cincinnati Open final spot in rampant win
WTA
Aryna Sabalenka will face either Jessica Pegula or best friend Paula Badosa in the final of the 2024 Cincinnati Open after handing Iga Swiatek a crushing 6-3, 6-1 loss on Sunday afternoon.
Sabalenka came into the clash at an 8-3 Head to Head deficit and hadn't won since the Madrid final last year but wouldn't be denied. She was also strengthened by the rain delay which saw Sabalenka click into another gear on return after already going a set up on the World No.1.
Before the rain delay, it was the story of pivotal breaks of serve at the right time for Sabalenka. She was broken and consolidated by Swiatek after initially going 2-0 up cancelling out any momentum. But she went 4-2 up with a rampant break of serve as she moved through the gears en route to claiming the first set emphatically 6-3.
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A short delay though threw Swiatek firmly off her rhythm or chances of returning to the tie. Her forehand started to let her down and the pressure seemed to be getting to her as Sabalenka had plenty of chances to brea and was afforded them time and again even when she missed them.
Sabalenka had three chances to break at 1-1 for instance before finally sealing it and for the match at 5-1 up, Sabalenka had an astonishing 7 match points but missed them all as Swiatek fought but only on her serve as Sabalenka was still serving to claim it.
Also amid all of this a drizzle was still circling around Cincinnati which was annoying and threatened to derail the match once again. Sabalenka of course would be in desparate need to merely get it done. But disaster struck as Sabalenka was broken at 2-5 having had two more match points and wrestling it back from 40-15 down.
She went 40-30 down on Swiatek's serve next game but managed to turn it around to seal the win finally on her 10th match point.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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