Swiatek, Gauff Set Cincinnati Masters SF; Sabalenka Downs Jabeur, Muchova Rematch Next

It’s a top-notch semifinal women’s line-up at the Cincinnati Masters in Ohio.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek eased past Marketa Vondrousova 7-6(3), 6-1 in the quarters in a match of the last two Grand Slam winners.

Swiatek converted 5-of-6 on break chances as the Polish star won the last four games to reach her 26th career semifinal and improve to 2-0 against the Czech lefty.

Vondrousova twice served for the first at 5-4 and 6-5.

“I’m really happy with my performance,” Swiatek said. “At the beginning, it wasn’t easy to get used to her lefty spin, but I’m happy that I kind of played better and better throughout the whole match. At the end, I was really solid.”

Coco Gauff set to showdown with Swiatek thanks to another solid performance dispatching Italian qualifier Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2.

The 19-year-old American has won nine of her last 10 matches, falling only to countrywoman Jessica Pegula last week at the Montreal Canadian Masters.

Gauff, though, is 0-7 against Swiatek and 0-14 in sets. Could this be her chance?

“I don’t have a good track record against her,” Gauff said. “I feel like the French Open match that I played her, even though it was a straight sets score line, I think I made some improvements against her since the last time I played her.

“I’m just really going to go out there and continue to follow the plan that I’ve been doing in the last couple of my matches,” she added. “I do feel a lot more confident going into it tomorrow. But she’s not an easy opponent to play, especially against me. I think I really just got to take it point by point and try to stay mentally engaged every ball.”

No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka toppled the 5th-seeded Ons Jabeur 7-5, 6-3. In the 10-break match, Sabalenka broke for the first set and then broke for a final time for 5-3 in the second before serving it out over the 3-time Slam winners.

“Super happy to get this win back,” Sabalenka said. “At the same time I’m a little bit sad for Ons. I really hope she’ll recover fast and she’ll be ready for the US Open.”

Sabalenka will now face French Open finalist Karolina Muchova who got a quick 3-0 retirement from countrywoman Marie Bouzkova who was bothered with a leg issue.

Sabalenka and Muchova have split two tour-level encounters with the Czech winning that crazy French Open semifinal in June from a match point down.

“I actually think this surface is really good for her style of game,” Sabalenka said to the WTA. “But probably I felt more confidence on the hard court against her. I kind of know her a little bit better.

“I hope I’m going to take this win back. At least I’ll do everything I can, everything that is in my hands to get this win back.”

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