World No 3 Iga Swiatek came from a break to beat Elena Rybakina to reach the final of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati open, where they fought the 7th placed Jasmine Paolini, who fought in the second semi-final on Sunday opposite Veronika Kudermetova.
Everyone in the final will be super cool, so I have to think tactically. I will concentrate on myself and do what I have done, because I certainly feel that progress has been made at this tournament. I just want to continue that, whatever the result is. Iga Swiatek
Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, continued her strong summer by beating Rybakina, the 9th seed of Kazakhstan, 7-5 6-3, in one hour and 38 minutes, while Paolini brings unwanted Russian, Kudermetova, 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-3, after 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Rybakina, the Wimbledon winner of 2022 who had disturbed the world No. 1 stunning and title defender, Aryna Sabalenka, in the quarterfinals, gave a 5-3 lead in the opening set, but Swiatek responded with a run of 4 games in the second place.
“Oh my god, that was certain, that was a heavy match,” Swiatek said afterwards. “In the beginning the level was pretty strange; sometimes we couldn’t even run to the second ball … but I was there to play with intensity, good quality and I am happy with the performance.”
Just as she did against Rybakina in Roland Garros earlier in the year, where she gathered from a set and a break deficiency in a 4th round victory, Swiatek took a while to go the full flight on the Cincy P&G Center Court.
After the match started with 6 straight postures from Serve, Rybakina continued by winning 3 straight games to set up a 2-game pillow, while she also had a 15-30 opening on Swiatek’s serve in the next game, but the Kazak never reached the set point, such as the set, she was broken to 30.
“Certainly, it was a great game,” said Swiatek, who qualified for the WTA final with the victory, and will regain the no. 2 ranking of Coco Gauff if she wins the title on Monday evening. “We played such a high intensity from the start. I just went for it. I knew that I can’t really get the foot off the gas, I really have to be proactive.
“Although Elena broke me in the first set, I tried to come up with some ideas, just to give some of her serves back because she served great.
“I am glad I used my chances, and I was there when she started missing a bit. Also happy with the level of the second set, because I was pretty consistent.”
Elena Rybakina gave a 5-3 lead in the first set against Iga Swiateek in the Cincy Semi-Final on Sunday on Sunday
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The former world no. 1 from Poland was stuck twice in the semi-final stage during the pre-US Open event, but she achieved her title Chance on her 3rd occasion after she jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set, a few love service games Sandebichen around a break by Rybakina’s Servee.
The Kazakh, however, still made her work for her, the repulsion of 3 breaking points in the 6th match and storing a few match points in the 8th before Swiatek closed a match later.
“I was even surprised that I can keep track of the pace because we played so quickly,” Swiatek added. “I wanted to be there when Elena starts to make mistakes. It is impossible to play such a good level throughout the game.
“I am glad I was there, and I was not frustrated when she was surprised and played so perfectly from the start. I am just glad that I was solid and intense and also could come back [shots] When she played great. And play my game anyway. “
Swiatek won 10 of the last 13 games to beat Rybakina for the 4th consecutive time and brought their head-to-head record to 6-4 with the exciting victory.
The 24-year-old was prepared for a tough final against Paolini or Kudermetova, who later met.
“Everyone in the final will be super cool, so I have to think tactically,” she said. “I will concentrate on myself and do what I have done, because I certainly feel that progress has been made at this tournament. I just want to continue that, regardless of what the result is.
“I feel love here, it’s a great place to be. People from Cincinnati are so nice, everywhere we go, even though we are here to play, we feel, we can be peace and just relax when we are outside the field.”
In anticipation of her 6-0 6-0 Wimbledon final victory over Amanda Anisimova last month, Swiatek had in a drought in Trophy, with her last title in June 2024 in Roland Garros.
With the Wimbledon Championship Trophy now safely tucked away in her silverware cabinet, another title win on Monday would only be the springboard she needs in the US Open, where she was the champion in 2022.
Jasmine Paolini had her semi -final in the bag when the nerves struck and she left Veronika Kudermetova back in the game, but eventually prevailed to reach her 2nd WTA 1000 final of the year
© Matthew Stockman/Getty images
Later on Sunday, Paolini also seemed to be on her way to a Straight sets victory on Kudermetova, because she had no significant pressure on her serve up to 5-4 in the second set, and she needed only 2 breaking points, which she both converted, to move within a game of the finish line, started to unravel things for the Italian.
Down 15-40 In the subsequent service game, Paolini saved 2 breaking points, but dropped the 3rd to let Kudermetova back in the second set, which the Russian won in a tiebreak.
“Until that moment everything was fine,” said Paolini after the game. “I was okay, I was focused, a bit relaxed. And then I was really nervous. I told myself, after losing the tiebreak, that I had to take a step back and go ahead, you know how to be in the present and not think about what happened.
“I came back to the court in the third set and did not try to think about what had happened. You have to continue. That was the key – to forget, to fight and be in the present.”
After she had seen her benefit slipping away, the strategy of the diminutive word Italian worked, while Paolini broke early in the decision maker and finally held the track, with Kudermetova’s count of 75 not -forced errors that cost the Russian many costs.
After she had dropped her previous 2 meetings against Kudermetova, Paolini’s first victory marked the head-to head between her and her Russian counterpart on Sunday
It is the 2nd WTA 1000 final of the Paolini season and the 3rd of her career, while she won the previous two.
Veronika Kudermetova managed to make her way to her semi -final against Jasmine Paolini by forcing a second set of breaker, but was propagated in the decider
© Dylan Buell/Getty images
The 29-year-old, who was a 2-way Grand Slam finalist in 2024, has nothing to lose against Swiatek, a 6-way Grand SLAM champion who competes in her 13th final at the level of 1000.
Swiatek has defeated Paolini in all 5 of their earlier meetings, where the Italian only wins one set.
“Jasmine, she also plays quickly, but with a lot of spider, and she has a lot of variation in terms of going to the net,” said Swiateek. “I think I have to prepare tactically, but to be honest I will just concentrate on myself.”
If she goes on the title on Monday, the post is back in the world no. 2 position on the way to the US Open next week, where she is sown 2nd because she has surpassed Gauff.
As far as Paolini is concerned, she is the first Italian to reach a cincy finale, and the last time she met Swiatek, she lost, 6-1 6-3, in the bad semi-final of Homburg in June, while they also met in the French Open final of 2024.
“It was really difficult to her,” said Paolini. “She is a great player and it is always difficult to play her.
“She defends very well, and her portion is also good, so it will be difficult, but I will try to do my best in the final. I love the conditions here, so that’s fine, and hopefully it will be a good match.”
Former world no. 1 Iga Swiateek is the favorite to win the Cincy title against Jasmine Paolini on Monday evening
© Dylan Buell/Getty images
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