It only took Iga Swiatek two words to sum up her semifinal win in Cincinnati, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will know exactly what she experienced. 

Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets, needing less than two hours to advance to the Cincinnati Open final. Rybakina prevented the anticipated match between Swiatek and Sabalenka before U.S. Open action after blowing away the Belarusian in the quarterfinals. 

The world No. 3 dominated the rallies early and never let Rybakina settle into rhythm, winning 31 first-serve points and holding steady despite managing just 14 of 38 on first-return attempts.

“At the beginning, the level was pretty crazy. We played so fast that sometimes we couldn’t run to the second ball,” Swiatek admitted after the match. “I was there to play with intensity and good quality. I’m super happy with the performance.”

Sabalenka knows all about the intensity Rybakina can bring after facing it first-hand just days earlier, although Swiatek was able to weather the storm and show her class. 

Rybakina arrived in the semifinal with momentum after easing past Sabalenka in the quarters with one of the best matches of her career. The Kazakhstani star disposed of the top seed off the court (6-1), (6-4), firing aces and rifling returns into corners with a confidence that made Sabalenka look human for the first time all tournament and sent her packing without ever letting her build traction.

The loss left Sabalenka admitting that motivation, not talent, had become her stumbling block. “Honestly, this is something I have to learn,” she said. “How to keep myself motivated and hungry and being 100 percent on in this kind of matches when you know you’re already in the semis and the only motivation for you is points and money.”

“That was tricky. You see someone on the other side, especially with such a high-level player who has nothing to lose, and she was just going for her shots, and everything was going in. Emotionally, the first set, I was kind of off. Not kind of, I was really off, and that’s something I have to fix before the semis.”

DON’T MISS

While reflecting on her win, Rybakina said, “Everything worked well.” She credited her victory to their countless previous matches against each other over the years, which allowed her to “open the angles” of Sabalenka’s signature deepcourt positioning.

While Sabalenka was defeated by Rybakina, Swiatek has historically dominated the Kazakhstani player in their head-to-head matches. Swiatek has secured six wins out of nine encounters, including the most recent four consecutive victories.

Once Rybakina’s serve was neutralized in Cincinnati, Swiatek’s rhythm, footwork, and relentless intensity proved too much. She’s once again peaking at the right time, with another hard-court title in sight.

Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in the final on Monday. The Italian player has never defeated Swiatek in their five-match history.