World No 3 recovers from early break to win 7-5, 6-3
Swiatek hasn’t lost a set so far in the tournament
Iga Swiatek, the third seed, defeated Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 on Sunday to reach her first Cincinnati Open final. The Pole had her hands full in the early stages of the 98-minute match but took advantage of a sudden dip in Rybakina’s form to win four consecutive games and wrap up the first set before easing through the second.
“That was a tough match,” Swiatek said. “At the beginning the level was pretty crazy. We played so fast that sometimes we couldn’t even run to the second ball. But I was there to play with intensity and good quality and I am super happy with the performance. I served much better, so for sure it helped and I wouldn’t change anything.”
Rybakina, the ninth seed, used a cross-court forehand that caught the line for a break and then held for a 5-3 lead in the first set but a focused Swiatek came back from the precipice and attacked the Kazakh’s serve to draw level at 5-5. From there, the Wimbledon champion held serve before wrapping up the opening set when she broke for a second time after a Rybakina backhand attempt came up well short.
