Iga Swiatek beats Elena Rybakina in straight sets to set up Cincinnati Open final with Jasmine Paolini - 'Pretty crazy'
Updated 17/08/2025 at 23:11 GMT+1
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Iga Swiatek is into the Cincinnati Open final after a straight-sets victory over Elena Rybakina. Swiatek, who won Wimbledon for the first time in July, will face Jasmine Paolini in the final. The Polish player said she was "super happy" to win a match that began at a "pretty crazy" level. The win secured Swiatek a 13th appearance in a WTA 1000 final.
Iga Swiatek celebrates winning her semi-final match at the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2025 in Mason, OH.
Image credit: Getty Images
Iga Swiatek said she was "super happy" after winning a "crazy" semi-final against Elena Rybakina to reach the Cincinnati Open final.
Wimbledon champion Swiatek won 7-5 6-3 to set up a deciding clash with Jasmine Paolini on Monday.
And Swiatek reflected on the ferocious intensity of her semi-final in her on-court interview.
"That was a tough match," she said. "At the beginning, the level was pretty crazy. We played so fast that sometimes we couldn't even run to the second ball.
"I was there to play with intensity and good quality. I'm super happy with the performance.
"It will be super tough in the final. I will have to prepare tactically but I will focus on myself and try to continue the work I have been doing."
Swiatek has still yet to drop a set in the tournament but needed to be at her best in the early stages of her clash with Rybakina, who served well and threatened to come out on top in the opening set.
The Kazakhstan player, who beat Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the last four, found herself 5-3 up having broken Swiatek's serve for the first and only time in the match.
But the latter instantly broke back, held her serve, and then broke again, securing the set with an impressive run of four successive games.
That disappointment proved difficult to bounce back from for Rybakina, who could not maintain the levels required to live with an in-form Swiatek.
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The Pole broke to lead 3-1 and then held to further her advantage and leave Rybakina in a precarious position.
There was the threat of a capitulation when Swiatek led 40-0 on Rybakina's serve, but the latter turned the game on its head to hold and preserve some hope.
She had a chance to break back in the next game, 40-15 up, but Swiatek again proved her ability to perform under pressure.
Having held, Swiatek needed one more game for victory, and there were no unexpected twists.
The 24-year-old advanced into her 13th career WTA 1000 final in style as she looks to add another title to a memorable season.
Paolini overcomes Kudermetova to make final
Seventh seed Paolini was the heavy favourite going into her semi-final against world No. 36 Veronika Kudermetova.
But it proved a closer match than many anticipated, with the Italian winning 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3 to progress.
Paolini, serving well and asserting herself in the early stages, was superior in the opening set.
But Kudermetova fought back from 5-3 down in the second to force a tie-break, which she won impressively to keep the match alive.
Paolini, though, seemed refocused and went up a gear in the final set, getting the decisive break to lead 4-2 and then serving out the match.
"I said to myself after losing the tie-break that I have to step back on court, be in the present and don't think about what happened," Paolini said in her on-court interview. "I did my best and it did not work in the second set but you have to keep going.
"And that was the key, to forget and go back and fight and stay in the present."
On facing Swiatek in the final, Paolini said: "It’s been really tough against her. She’s an amazing player. She defends really well. Serving good.
"I’m trying to do my best. We are in the final. I like the conditions. Let’s fight."
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