‘I finally broke the wall after needing TEN match points to beat Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati semis’Aryna Sabalenka says

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to her first WTA Cincinnati Open final after comprehensively defeating Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-3, and will take on Jessica Pegula for the title.

Sabalenka was felled in the final four on three previous occasions, including in the last two events, but managed to pull off her first ever straight-sets victory over her Polish rival, as confirmed by the WTA.

Sabalenka did not have it all her own way towards the end, and was relieved to get over the line on her 10th match point.

“It sounds like I broke the wall, finally,” Sabalenka said of beating Swiatek. “Of course, I’m super happy to be in the final after such a tough battle against Iga.

“I kept telling myself, that’s why she’s world No. 1. She’s going to fight till the last point so you have got to stay aggressive and keep doing your job.”

With the win, Sabalenka will move up to No. 2 in the world rankings on Monday.

“I feel comfortable being in the bottom half of the net, but I’ll be more comfortable to see myself on the top half of the net,” Sabalenka said in response to being told she will rise to No. 2 in the world. “I’m trying my best to get there.”

Sabalenka took an early advantage with a break to love to make it 2-0, but then succumbed to an immediate break back.

The Belarusian quickly restored her two-game lead and comfortably closed out the opening set in 35 minutes, finishing with a hold to lomatch point controversy – ‘It’s embarrassing’

An inter-set shower delayed the start of the second as Sabalenka complained about slippery lines.

When play resumed, Swiatek did not fare much better, fending off a break point in the first game but eventually surrendering her serve in the third and fifth.

The Pole managed to keep herself in the match in an astonishing seventh game, navigating a total of seven match points to give herself a glimmer of hope.

That glimmer expanded to a ray with Swiatek’s second break of the match, but not before she was forced to survive two more match points.

But Sabalenka did not pass up her 10th match point in the subsequent game, fighting back to deuce and finally getting over the line with a well-placed backhand return.