The semi-finals of the Cincinnati Supertournament took place on Sunday, August 18. The first to step onto the centre court of the tournament were the Polish WTA ranking leader Iga Swiatek and the Belarusian world number three Arina Sabalenka.
The world’s number one player on the way to a face-to-face confrontation with the two-time TBS champion defeated Varvara Gracheva (6-0, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2), Marta Kostyuk (6 :2, 6:2) and Mirra Andreeva (4 :6, 6:3, 7:5). The Belarusian, in turn, did not lose the match, eliminating Elisabetta Cocciaretto (6:3, 6:4), Elina Svitolina (7:5, 6:2) and Lyudmila Samsonova (6:3, 6:2).
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The score of personal head-to-head matches in official matches is 8-3 (3-2 on hard court) in favor of the Polish tennis player. For the first time she played in the group of the WTA Final Championship 2021, where Arina won 2:6, 6:2, 7:5. This year they had two matches in the final of the clay tournament, and if in Madrid Iga won on match points – 7:5, 4:6, 7:6 (9:7), then in Rome she easily defeated the Belarusian – 6 :2, 6:3.
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Before the new clash with Swiatek, Sabalenka admitted that she was not affected by the negative statistics from personal encounters with the Pole.
“Do I think about the head-to-head statistics before the match? No, I never look at them. Because every day is a new story. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, today everything can change. That’s why I never focus on the head-to-head statistics.
“I would like to see the results based on that. I mean sometimes because it would be much easier. But sports are wonderful precisely because you never know what will happen today. We have to fight and win,” the Tennis Channel quotes the Belarusian as saying.
Arina also couldn’t help but highlight the fast hard court at the Cincinnati tournament in 2024.
“How will such a quick coverage affect our meeting with Iga Swiatek? Good question. You have to ask the coach. We have had many good battles in the past. I always enjoy playing against her, regardless of the result. It is very difficult, but I am glad that we have reached the semi-finals and we will meet again,” Tennis Channel quotes Sabalenka as saying.
Arina Sabalenko
Photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images
On the eve of the semi-final match between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, well-known Russian experts have spoken out. Russian tennis player Natalya Vikhlyantseva admitted that the 26-year-old from Minsk could cause Swiatek problems in the upcoming match.
“There were already several moments in the matches against Iga when we thought she was not in very good form. The Polish player could lose the first set and lose by a break. In the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati tournament, Swiatek struggled with Mirra Andreeva. The Russian is now in great form and was determined to win. However, Mirra still cannot defeat Iga.
“Swiatek is a tennis player who can wake up today and start beating everyone easily. And if it is her day, her game, then I think she will have no problems in the fight against Sabalenka. However, Arina can cause problems for Iga. It is all a matter of timing: how the tennis players will feel, what the weather will be like in Cincinnati. If it is hot and the courts are fast, then, of course, this is an advantage for the Belarusian,” Vikhlyantseva said in an interview with Metaratings.by.
Sabalenka played the first set of her next match against Swiatek in the best possible way. She first took her serve and then broke to love (2-0). However, already in the next game, the two-time Major winner gave up her serve 2:1. However, Arina did not allow herself any more liberties. The Belarusian performed excellently on the court, making powerful attacks from the baseline, using a good serve, active techniques, including a smash. One had the feeling that the fast courts in Cincinnati were very suitable for the third racket of the world. Sabalenka won the first match 6:3.
In the second set, the girls won one game each on their serve, after which the Belarusian athlete could no longer be stopped. She made two breaks in a row and led 5-1. Arina played actively, wide and freely. But then unimaginable things started to happen on the court. Sabalenka could not finish the fight in her favor. In the seventh game, the third racket of the world immediately lost 7 (!) match points on the return, and already in the next, eighth, on her serve – two more! And still, with the score 5:3 in her favor, the Minsk native was able to take the match on the second attempt 6:3, 6:3. In total, she needed 10 match points to win! As for the ratio of winners to unforced errors, the Polish player has 12/22, while the Belarusian has 24/25. Iga completed one serve from start to finish, while Arina completed five.
Sabalenka thus reached the 29th final of her career. The two-time TBS champion’s opponent in the decisive match in Cincinnati will be determined in the match between Jessica Pegula and Paula Badosa.
The tournament in Cincinnati will take place from August 12 to 19. You can follow all the events of these prestigious competitions in the “Championship”.
