Aryna Sabalenka squandered nine match points but defeated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday, breaking through to her first final at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Open.
Four-time Cincinnati semifinalist Sabalenka will rise to second in the WTA rankings with a week to go before the start of the U.S. Open.
"I finally broke the barrier," Sabalenka said of her place in the final. "It was such a tough battle with Iga, and we also had to be patient with the weather."
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