Iga Swiatek Beats Elena Rybakina In Straight Sets To Enter Cincinnati Open Final
For the first time in her career, Iga Swiatek advanced to the final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open, overcoming Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 to set up a title clash with Jasmine Paolini. The six-time Grand Slam champion earned a Monday evening final against an opponent with nothing to lose after Paolini managed to 'forget" a patch of bad form to claim a 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 win over Russian Veronika Kudermetova.
The 29-year-old, who was a two-time Grand Slam finalist in 2024, will aim for the fourth title of her career when she faces Swiatek, who is preparing for her 13th final at the 1000 level as she moves closer to reclaiming the world number two ranking. Swiatek, the current Wimbledon champion, recovered from an early break in the first set and surged past the 2022 All England winner Rybakina, who had defeated world number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.
The former world number one from Poland, now ranked third, had previously stalled twice at the semi-final stage of this pre-US Open event but secured her chance at the title on her third attempt.
'It was a great match, and at the beginning, I was even surprised that I could keep up with the pace because we played so fast," Swiatek said. 'I wanted to be there when Elena starts making mistakes. It's impossible to maintain such a high level throughout the whole match."
Swiatek recovered from 3-5 down in the first set, winning the last four games. She then jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set, sandwiching a pair of love service games around a break of Rybakina's serve.
However, Kazakhstan's Rybakina made her work for it, fending off three break points in the sixth game and saving two match points in the eighth before Swiatek closed it out a game later.
'I was playing with intensity and quality," Swiatek said. 'I feel good about my game right now and would not change anything."
Swiatek has defeated Paolini in all five of their previous meetings, with the Italian winning just one set. Nonetheless, Swiatek is ready for a tough final against a player who beat world number two Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals.
'Anyone who is there will have been playing well," she said.
'Keep fighting'
Before her 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final win over Amanda Anisimova last month, Swiatek had been in a trophy drought, with her last title coming in June 2024 at Roland Garros. Another victory on Monday would be a strong springboard into the US Open, where first-round play starts on August 24.
Paolini looked set for a straight-set victory but failed to serve out her match at 5-4 in the second set and admitted the lapse left her nervous.
'The key was to forget, get back into the fight and stay in the present," Paolini said after wrapping up the win in two and a quarter hours. 'I was fighting in the second set and all was fine. But I got nervous and thought I would lose the tiebreaker. I came back onto the court in the third set trying not to think about what had happened. You have to keep going."
With AFP Inputs
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Cincinnati Open Elena Rybakina Iga Swiatek Jasmine Paolini tennis
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First Published:
August 18, 2025, 08:34 IST
News sports Iga Swiatek Beats Elena Rybakina In Straight Sets To Enter Cincinnati Open Final
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