Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner fight through
Cincinnati, August 18
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner fended off challenges to reach the semifinals in the Cincinnati Open.
Swiatek extended her match winning streak to 15 with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 victory over 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Swiatek will face third-ranked Arnya Sabalenka, a 6-3 6-2 winner over 10th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova.
Sinner avenged last week’s loss to No. 6 Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals in Montreal with a 4-6 7-5 6-4 victory to become the first Italian man to reach the Cincinnati semis in the Open era. Sinner will face No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who beat Ben Shelton 3-6 7-6 7-5. Zverev, the only remaining former champion in the draw, has won four straight times against Sinner.
Swiatek and Sabalenka have met twice already this year, with Swiatek winning the finals at Roland Garros and Madrid. Swiatek is 8-3 against the two-time Grand Slam winner.
“We’re both players that kind of deserve to be in semifinals and finals, because we’re working very hard,” Swiatek said.
Neither player has reached the final in Cincinnati. Swiatek lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff last year in her first semifinal appearance. Sabalenka is a three-time semifinalist, including each of the past two years. — AP
