World No. 3 Pegula beats defending champ Swiatek to reach Cincy final

CINCINNATI – World number three Jessica Pegula triumphed over defending champion Iga Swiatek to secure a spot in the final of the Cincinnati Masters on Saturday. Pegula, displaying remarkable resilience, overcame a break down in the final set to defeat the six-time Grand Slam winner in a highly competitive match that lasted two hours and 47 minutes.

The American quarter-finalist will face either unseeded Czech Sara Bejlek or fourth-ranked Coco Gauff in the final on Sunday. Bejlek, 20, entered the semifinal with high hopes, having previously upset world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. Pegula is on a roll this year, having already claimed victory in two different 1000 level events in Dubai and Charleston.

Swiatek and Pegula faced a minor setback due to rain, causing the match to start 30 minutes late, and it was briefly interrupted after just two games. The first set proved to be a tense battle, lasting over an hour and featuring seven breaks of serve, with Swiatek even hitting a volley into the net on set point. After securing the deciding set, Swiatek took a 3-1 lead in the third, but Pegula managed to regain the break and went on to secure the match after Swiatek double-faulted on break point.