Iga Swiatek beats Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in 98 minutes
Enters Cincinnati Open final for first time
To take on either Jasmine Paolini or Veronika Kudermetova in summit clash
Iga Swiatek overcame Elena Rybakina in straight sets to claim her place in the Cincinnati Open final.
After the exits of Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, Swiatek is the top seed left in the draw, and she cemented her status as the favourite on Sunday.
The world number three prevailed 7-5 6-3 in 98 minutes to reach the Cincinnati Open final for the first time.
Ninth seed Rybakina fought valiantly, but was ultimately found wanting in the key moments, breaking midway through the opening set, only to lose her last two service games.
Swiatek kept that momentum up heading into the second set, breaking to take a 3-1 lead - an advantage she would not go on to relinquish as she fended off two break points at 4-2 up.
Rybakina salvaged two match points on serve, yet despite racing into a 30-0 lead in the next game, she then saw Swiatek reel off four straight points to seal the victory.
The Pole will take on either Jasmine Paolini or Veronika Kudermetova in Monday's final.
Data Debrief: Swiatek back on song
It has been a difficult time over the past year for Swiatek, but on the back of her triumph at Wimbledon, the 24-year-old is looking strong.
She has made it into her 13th WTA 1000-level final, equalling Sabalenka and Petra Kvitova for the fifth-most finals in the format since it was introduced in 2009.
Since the start of 1990, Swiatek is the third-youngest player to reach 13 Tier 1/WTA 1000 finals, older only than Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova.
This victory represented Swiatek's fourth consecutive win over Rybakina at WTA-level, with a current record of 6-4.
