The WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati delivers a blockbuster semifinal lineup on Saturday, with Elena Rybakina's sensational form continuing after her stunning dismantling of world number one Aryna Sabalenka. The Kazakh faces third and highest seed left Iga Swiatek in what promises to be a high-stakes battle, while the bottom half features an intriguing clash between Jasmine Paolini and Veronika Kudermetova - the Italian eliminating the reigning US Open champion in quarterfinals, and the Russian coming back on rails after slumping down in the ranks in last two seasons.
Rybakina vs. Swiatek
Elena Rybakina produced arguably the performance of the tournament, crushing defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-1 6-4 in just 75 minutes to reach her first Cincinnati semifinal. The world number 10 was virtually untouchable on serve, firing 11 aces and winning 81% of first-serve points while Sabalenka managed just 65%. The Belarusian missed crucial break points throughout, including four in the second set alone, as Rybakina reeled off the final five games to seal victory with a love hold. Surprisingly, it was Rybakina who put much of the intense this match, creating 25 pressure points on Sabalenka's serve, facing just 12 during own service games. This marks Rybakina's seventh career win over a world number one and her third victory over Sabalenka on hard courts in their last three meetings on the surface. She's now 10-2 in the North American hard-court swing, with her only losses coming to eventual champions in Washington and Montreal semifinals.
Iga Swiatek navigated a tricky test against Anna Kalinskaya, winning 6-3 6-4 despite the Russian's complaints about unfair scheduling. Kalinskaya had finished past midnight the previous evening and was forced to play first at 11:00 AM, arriving at her hotel in the early hours before facing a well-rested Swiatek who had received a third-round walkover from Marta Kostyuk. The Pole has now reached her third Cincinnati semifinal in seven attempts and hasn't dropped a set in the three matches she's played, losing just 19 games total. This will be her first WTA 1000 semifinal since winning Rome in May. Swiatek leads the head-to-head 5-4 but has lost all three matches this year to Rybakina - at the United Cup, Doha, and Roland Garros. The extra rest could prove crucial for the reigning Wimbledon champion. Swiatek was not tested up to this point in Cincinnati, being the only semifinalist still yet to lose a set in the tournament, however none of her three opponents gave the Pole the significant challenge. The match against Rybakina will be a hit clash and the real chance for Swiatek to reach out the first final on hard courts since the victory in Indian Wells last year.
Paolini vs. Kudermetova
Jasmine Paolini completed a remarkable hat-trick of victories over Coco Gauff, coming from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 6-3 in a match featuring 14 breaks of serve and 16 double faults from the American. After trailing 0-2 in their career head-to-head, Paolini has now won three straight against Gauff this year - Stuttgart, Rome, and Cincinnati. The Italian showed tremendous mental fortitude, overcoming an ankle scare early in the third set when she rolled it while hitting a running forehand. Despite needing medical treatment, she immediately broke Gauff's serve and won seven points in a row to seize control. Paolini saved five of eight break points faced in the decisive set while converting four of her own, closing out victory on her third match point. This marks her third WTA 1000 semifinal of 2025 after Miami and Rome.
Veronika Kudermetova delivered a clinical performance to end qualifier Varvara Gracheva's fairytale run, winning 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour. The Russian broke immediately and won five service games from her opponent without facing a single break point, completely overwhelming Gracheva with superior pace and power. Kudermetova's serve has been clicking all week - she's now guaranteed US Open seeding at 26 in live rankings.This represents her third Masters 1000 semifinal after Madrid and Rome in 2023. Kudermetova holds a dominant 3-1 head-to-head record against Paolini, including a 6-3 6-2 victory there in Cincinnati in 2021, although it's quite a past as they have not played against each other since then.
