Jessica Pegula battled into her ninth WTA 1000 remaining.
Richard PagliaroAugust 22, 20264 minute learn
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 22, 2026
Photograph credit score: Cincinnati Open Fb
Careening nook to nook in a determined dash, Jessica Pegula flashed a bolt of brilliance within the remaining set.
Smacking a working forehand winner down the road to stage the decider, Pegula delivered some assertion shotmaking even below excessive duress.
Down a break within the remaining set, Pegula roared by means of 5 of the ultimate six video games dethroning defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 profitable an enthralling encounter to succeed in her second Cincinnati Open remaining within the final three years.
Each girls confirmed super aggressive character in a match that spanned two hours, 47 minutes and featured a mixed 13 service breaks.
Finally, Pegula’s health, fierce resilience and a few brave shot-making below pivotal stress helped Pegula battle into her ninth profession WTA 1000 remaining.
The third-seeded Pegula snapped Swiatek’s 10-match profitable streak denying the Pole’s quest to turn into simply the second defending champion within the Open Period to succeed in the Cincinnati remaining after Serena Williams, who swept successive Cincinnati crowns in 2014-2015.
A heavy forehand strike introduced Pegula match level and he or she slid a slice serve down the T to finish it.
Pegula improved to a WTA-best 45-11 on the season, together with 7-5 vs. High 10 opponents, as she performs for her third title of the season tomorrow evening.
The 32-year-old Pegula will play both her former doubles associate, fourth-ranked Coco Gauff, or 20-year-old Czech left-hander Sara Bejlek, who has overwhelmed three Grand Slam champions en path to her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal.
Beneath an unruly sky, the serve was below fixed risk on the outset.
Two snipers on return mixed for 5 straight service breaks to open this semifinal. Pegula exploited a double fault and drew successive errors breaking once more for 3-2.
The third seed stamped the primary maintain of the day at love for a 4-2 lead 25 minutes into the match.
Settling in, Swiatek stabilized snatching three video games in a row and her first lead—at 5-4—after 41 minutes.
At crunch time, Pegula performed with extra readability and calm. Difficult the Pole’s topspin forehand, Pegula earned a second break level when Swiatek slapped a forehand into the underside of the web.
Then Swiatek blinked, sending her fifth double fault of the set deep as Pegula broke for 6-5.
Serving for the set, Pegula induced an inside-out forehand error for break level. Swiatek was in full command of the following level when Pegula flicked again a determined lob.
Standing a couple of ft from internet, Swiatek badly butchered a forehand volley as a shocked Pegula took the reward and a fierce 63-minute first set.
Squealing sneakers signalled the hassle from each girls as a cussed Swiatek swept apart three break factors holding for a 2-1 second-set lead.
The previous No. 1 broke for 4-2 solely to see Pegula break again within the seventh sport.
Battling by means of a punishing 12-point sport, Swiatek stood tall holding for 5-4 then ratcheting up stress on the American.
Dropping a forehand bomb down the road introduced Swiatek a break and set level. When a weary Pegula netted a forehand, Swiatek seized the second set and compelled a 3rd after two hours, two minutes.
Dealing with a one-break deficit at 1-3 within the decider, Pegula broke proper again.
A sweaty, sticky scrap hit a better stage of depth within the sixth sport.
After two-and-a-half hours of bodily play, Pegula confirmed why she’s an elite participant streaking nook to nook than cracking that clear Sampras-esque working forehand to carry with a bang for 3-All.
The Pegula return sport punished Swiatek right into a triple break level gap in ninth sport. Swiatek saved all three break factors, however despatched a forehand lengthy then spit up her seventh double fault of the day to cede the break and a 5-4 lead.
A peaceful Pegula threw down a robust maintain to finish the six-time Grand Slam champion’s reign in two hours, 47 minutes in one of many fiercest battles of the match.
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