Aryna Sabalenka. Photo: photosport
Aryna Sabalenka harnessed her powerful serve to subdue American Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-5 and win the Cincinnati Open, sending a message ahead of the year's final major in New York.
The twice Australian Open dropped only nine points on serve and hit 10 aces as she overcame some jitters late in the second set in an otherwise confident performance to pick up her sixth WTA 1000 title.
Pegula had appeared to be in good form after she retained her title in Toronto earlier this month but she struggled with her serve, with five double faults.
Sabalenka got the break in the fourth game after Pegula whacked a forehand into the net and the Belarusian built on the momentum with a hold to love in the fifth, closing out the first set with an unreturnable serve.
She sent over a barrage of powerful forehands to get another break in the opening game of the second set but helped Pegula to get her lone break point with a double fault and a pair of unforced errors in the 10th game.
Sabalenka broke back immediately, however, and blew kisses to the crowd after she forced her opponent into an error on match point. She will move one spot up to number two in the rankings ahead of the US Open, which starts next week.
Sinner, Tiafoe reach men's final
Italian world number one Jannik Sinner played through a nagging hip issue to beat Germany's Alexander Zverev 7-6(9) 5-7 7-6(4) and reach the men's final, where he will face Frances Tiafoe.
Jannik Sinner of Italy in action Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Australian Open champion Sinner, who leads the ATP Tour with four titles this season, was limping at times and also favoured his right hip but dug deep to dispatch the 2021 Cincinnati champion in three hours and seven minutes.
Zverev was three points away from serving out the opener but Sinner broke to level at 5-5 before they headed to a rain-interrupted tiebreak where the Italian secured the frame on his third set point with a backhand volley.
The players exchanged early breaks in the second set but German world number four Zverev held to love to go 6-5 up and then levelled the match in the next game when Sinner sent a forehand smash into the net.
Neither player faced a break point in a tightly contested decider that required a tiebreak where Sinner took control, dropping just one point on his serve and sealing the match when Zverev sent a backhand long.
In the other semi-final, unseeded Tiafoe beat Danish 15th seed Holger Rune 4-6 6-1 7-6(4) to reach the biggest final of his career.
With the win, Tiafoe becomes the first American to reach the final since John Isner in 2013.
- Reuters