Playing in her fourth Cincinnati Open semi-final, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Iga Swiatek to reach her maiden final at the WTA 1000 event. She also ended her three-match losing streak against the World No. 1 in the process.
Understandably excited about the result, Sabalenka expressed joy over having “broken” a wall to improve her best showing at the tournament during her on-court interview after the win.
The Belarussian, who had previously lost in the semi-finals in 2018, 2022 and 2023, went on to thank the fans for their support and staying out on court despite the poor weather conditions.
“It sounds like I broke the wall finally, I’m super happy,” Aryna Sabalenka said. “After such a tough battle against [Iga Swiatek], I’m super happy with the win.”
“Thank you so much for the atmosphere, being patient with the weather, staying there, still supporting, thank you very much,” she added.
Sabalenka also reflected on her performance, saying she was prepared to play more patiently and did not rush into things. Putting pressure on Swiatek, she felt, did the trick for her as sailed to a straight-sets win 6-3, 6-3.
“I wasn’t over-rushing things. I was trusting myself a lot, and I wasn’t trying to over-hit the ball,” the Belarussian asaid. “I was just trying to stay there, put as much pressure as I can on her, and I was really focused on my serve.”
“I wanted this win badly” – Aryna Sabalenka on beating Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati Open semi-final
Aryna Sabalenka after beating Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open semi-final (Image via Getty)
Aryna Sabalenka after beating Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open semi-final (Image via Getty)
Aryna Sabalenka’s win over Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals also brought to end her three-match losing streak against the Pole.
The Belarussian, who improved her head-to-head against Swiatek to 4-8 after the latest result, said she came into the match knowing that she needed to do something “interesting” to have a shot at winning. She said her rivalry with Swiatek was fuelling her desire to win even more.
“Especially when someone leads against you 8-3 you kind of feel like, ‘Okay, I gotta, I gotta keep it interesting,'” Aryna Sabalenka said. “I gotta get my win so it’s interesting for people to watch us play. So yeah, of course, I wanted this win badly.”
Sabalenka will next take on Jessica Pegula for the Cincinnati Open final. The American, who is eyeing to back her Canadian Open win here, defeated Paula Badosa in a topsy-turvy three-set semi-final.