Pegula meets resurgent Swiatek in Cincinnati Open semi-final test

Jessica Pegula will face resurgent defending champion Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open semi-final, with a place in the title match at stake. Swiatek leads their head-to-head record 7-5, although the pair have shared the last eight meetings evenly.

The semi-finalists reached the last four in contrasting fashion. Swiatek moved through when Elena Rybakina retired with a leg injury while trailing 4-1 in the opening set. Pegula needed more than two hours to defeat Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) in a deciding tie-break.

Both players arrive with strong recent form. Swiatek won the Canadian Open last week, following difficult campaigns on clay and grass that included a third-round Wimbledon defeat by Alex Eala while defending her title. Her return to winning form has revived the sense that she is approaching the level that previously made her so dominant.

Pegula reached the Washington DC final before advancing to the last 16 in Toronto. She has also beaten Swiatek in their latest hard-court meeting, at the 2022 US Open, while Swiatek won their most recent encounter in Rome.

The American has recognised the danger posed by Swiatek’s renewed confidence. Pegula believes the Pole has regained her rhythm through a run of victories and remains especially difficult to handle when playing with belief. Home support in Cincinnati will add another challenge for Swiatek, who expects Pegula to produce her strongest tennis on an American court.

Swiatek sees the match as a test of Pegula’s anticipation and ball-striking. She considers the American’s ability to read opponents and redirect the ball a major reason for their difficult contests, while the pair’s contrasting styles have produced several close matches.

The winner will meet either two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff or 20-year-old Sara Bejlek in the final. Bejlek reached that potential semi-final after eliminating world number one Aryna Sabalenka.