Cincinnati Open: Rybakina outpowers Sabalenka, Swiatek awaits

Overview

• Elena Rybakina delivered a dominant performance at the Cincinnati Open.
• She defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-final.
• She will face Iga Swiatek in the semi-final.

Elena Rybakina delivered a dominant performance at the Cincinnati Open as she beat defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-final. The Kazakh star stunned the world number one with her powerful serving display, hitting 11 aces on her way to victory.

Also Read: “He has struggled physically at Majors this year” – Lajovic on Novak Djokovic

After the win, Rybakina shared her thoughts and highlighted how crucial her serve was in the match. "I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," Rybakina said. "I served really well. If she had been serving well it would have been a totally different match. It was also intense from the baseline. I just hope to continue like this."

Coco Gauff fell short in her quarter-final clash against Jasmine Paolini

The 2022 Wimbledon champion will now face the current Wimbledon winner, Iga Swiatek, in the semi-final on August 17. Swiatek booked her place with a straight-sets win over Anna Kalinskaya, 6-3, 6-4. Reflecting on her performance, the world number three said she was pleased with her focus. "I just played my game. It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity," Swiatek said.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff fell short in her quarter-final clash against Jasmine Paolini. Despite taking the first set, Gauff could not maintain her level as Paolini fought back to win 6-2, 4-6, 3-6.

Also Read: Australia's Thomas Fancutt faces 10-month ban for doping breach

Paolini will now face Veronika Kudermetova in the semi-final. Speaking to the WTA website about the upcoming match, Paolini admitted it would be a tough test. “She’s a great player, big serve and big weapons. It’s always tough to play against her … this one is going to be a different story. She’s playing really well, I’m happy with my game here, so let’s see what I can do and hopefully it’s going to be a good one.”