In Cincinnati, the Polish world number 1 Iga Swiatek showed that she knew how to adapt quickly by eliminating Marketa Vondrousova (10th) (7-6 (7/3), 6-1). The Polish player, titleholder at the US Open and Roland-Garros, lost her serve twice in the first set, struggling against her left-handed opponent, before breaking and finally winning the decisive game against the Czech, victorious at Wimbledon this year. Swiatek then easily dominated the second set, managing to qualify in 93 minutes.
“It’s not easy to adapt to his game,” admitted Swiatek. “After the first set, I was determined to fight for every ball. I was more focused and knew what worked. I learned from the first set. I knew exactly how I had to play.” To hope to reach the final, the star player will have to defeat the American Coco Gauff, world number 7, who threw her racket in a moment of anger before winning against the Italian Jasmine Paolini (6-3, 6- 2). “Usually they say don’t throw your racket away, but I’ve won six games in a row,” Gauff said. “What can we do ? At least no one was hurt.”
World number 2 Aryna Sabalenka, for her part, beat Ons Jabeur (7-5, 6-3) in 85 minutes. The Belarusian scored nine aces and broke nine times against the Tunisian, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, who suffered a foot injury in the second set. Like a remake of the Roland-Garros semi-final, Sabalenka will therefore face the Czech Karolina Muchova, qualified due to the abandonment of her compatriot Marie Bouzkova, injured in the right thigh, who had just lost the first three games. Sabalenka, winner of the Australian Open, will try to get the upper hand against Muchova, who had won a surprise victory over her in Paris.
