Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the course of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Household Tennis Middle on August 14, 2025 in Mason, Ohio. — AFP
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence got here to an abrupt finish in Cincinnati as Elena Rybakina produced a robust efficiency to succeed in the semi-final.
The ninth seed Kazakh star dominated from the very begin, utilizing her huge serve and clear hitting to overwhelm the defending champion and ebook her place within the final 4.
She secured her seventh profession win over a top-ranked participant and arrange a blockbuster conflict with Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a showdown of Wimbledon champions.
Rybakina fired 11 aces all through the match, incomes a powerful 81% of factors on her first serve, whereas saving all 5 break factors she confronted as she secured her fifth win over Sabalenka in 12 conferences.
“I’m happy with the serve. It was the key,” former world quantity three Rybakina mentioned.
“We’re both big hitters. Today I served really well. If Aryna serves well, it’s completely different. Hopefully I continue like this.”
Earlier, third seed Swiatek superior to her first WTA 1000 semi-final in 15 months, beating Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4.
Kalinskaya, who had defeated Swiatek of their solely earlier assembly, put up a spirited struggle by saving 4 match factors, earlier than the six-times Grand Slam winner transformed her fifth alternative on serve to seal the victory.
“I just played my game,” Swiatek mentioned. “For sure, it wasn’t easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure.”
Veronika Kudermetova breezed previous Varvara Gracheva 6-1 6-2 to succeed in her first Cincinnati semi-final. The Russian appears to be again to the shape that after carried her into the Prime 10, incomes her first WTA 1000 last-four spot since 2023.
She’s going to subsequent face both second seed Coco Gauff or seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini within the semis.
Within the males’s draw, second seed Carlos Alcaraz survived a three-set battle in opposition to Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, claiming a 6-3 4-6 7-5 win to succeed in the final 4.
The Spaniard was removed from his finest, committing 15 unforced errors and three double faults within the decider, however capitalising on his lone match level, courtesy of a Rublev double fault, to safe his fifteenth consecutive Masters 1000 win.
“Playing someone like Andrey, when you lose focus on two or three points, it can cost you the set or the match. I just stayed strong mentally and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Alcaraz mentioned.
“It’s just accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, that it’s going to be a really tough battle, and I love that,” he added after organising a showdown with both third seed Alex Zverev or American fifth seed Ben Shelton.
5-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, winner of 37 of his final 39 matches, superior to his twelfth Masters 1000 semi, equalling the mark of Italian prime seed Jannik Sinner, who faces Frenchman Terence Atmane within the different last-four conflict.
