Swiatek books Cincinnati semifinal, with Sabalenka or Rybakina up next

Iga Swiatek outplayed Anna Kalinskaya to advance to her third Cincinnati semifinal, where either Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina will await.

Iga Swiatek took care of Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 on Friday at the simmering Cincinnati Open -- and now things are about to get interesting.

Her Sunday semifinal opponent will be the winner of the later match between World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina.

A win there would be another step back toward the top of tennis, advancing Swiatek to her first WTA 1000 final in 15 months -- when she beat Sabalenka in Rome. In the bigger picture, on the heels of her breakthrough victory at Wimbledon, a win would lock down a spot in the WTA Finals for the fifth straight year.

Swiatek served well, winning 24 of 30 first-serve points and 15 of 23 seconds. She was broken only once.

“Just played my game,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview. “For sure, it wasn’t easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure.”

Kalinskaya is a talented ball-striker and has been historically dangerous against top-ranked players. Though she has never been a Top 10 player herself (she reached No. 11), she came into this match with a remarkable 13-10 record against those elite players. One of them came against Swiatek in their only meeting, last year’s Dubai semifinal.

The 26-year-old came in with some momentum after reaching the final in Washington, D.C. and winning two matches in Montreal. Here in Cincinnati, she upset No. 7-ranked Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in the third round and followed it up with a three-set win over No. 15 Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Kalinskaya was looking to beat three Top 20 players in succession for only the third time in her career.

After the players held serve in the first three games, Kalinskaya called for the trainer. After a medical timeout and wrapping for her balky left calf, Kalinskaya was broken. After saving two set points, she had Swiatek love-30 at 5-3, but couldn’t convert. Swiatek came up with two good serves and backhands to match to take the first set.

In the second, Swiatek again broke Kalinskaya in her second service game. And Kalinskaya returned the favor to get the match back on serve. But, playing a loose game that ended with a forehand slapped long and wide, Kalinskaya gave the break back and Swiatek led 4-3.

After Kalinskaya saved four match points, Swiatek converted the fifth when a Kalinskaya return sailed long.

Swiatek, 24, is now a three-time semifinalist in Cincinnati, but she’s never been to the final here -- one of only two WTA 1000s, along with Canada, where that’s the case.

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