Rybakina Stomps Sabalenka, set up Cincy semifinals with Swiatek – Tennis now
Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 15, 2025
Image source: Cincinnati Open Facebook
The ball explodes like a hit ram Aryna Sabalenka behind.
Elena Rybakina Beating the world No. 1 with a heavy drive and rolling Sabalenka from a 6-1, 6-4 draw to her first Cincinnati Open semifinal.
Rybakina ripped off 11 ACEs in a double failure and denied all five breakthrough points she faced, beating Sabalenka for the fifth time in 12 meetings.
Sabalenka has won this rematch in the 2023 Australian Open final, which won in three sets since Rybakina beat Belarusian 6-0, 6-3 in the 2024 Brisbane final.
That’s the Rybakina master class 🤩
Elena Rybakina beat defending champion Sabalenka 6-1, 6-4.#cincytennis pic.twitter.com/j03v3nckur
– wta (@wta) August 15, 2025
Rybakina disarmed the U.S. Open champion with depth and shock, giving out second place ahead of this month’s U.S. Open with intentions. Since defeating Sabalenka in the 2024 WTA final, Rybakina has improved to 7-5 lifetime against the world’s No. 1 player to finish first in the first place.
Rebakina, the ninth seed, will face the top first place Iga Swiatek Position in the finals.
The 24-year-old Swiatek turned her fifth game into a 6-3, 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya, becoming the youngest woman in open-era history, and promoted to three consecutive Cincinnati semifinals.
4 – Elena Rybakina equals Petra Kvitova and Aryna Sabalenka (4) has the largest victory against the WTA-1000 in the world rankings since the format introduction in 2009. #cincytennis | @cincytennis @wta @wta_insider pic.twitter.com/lcqytusjcs
– Optaace (@optaace) August 15, 2025
Rybakina beat a large number of Sabalenka and now earns 29 of 36 first-time points. Rybakina controls the forehand communication and bubbled backhand at the intersection to keep most of her service games at the best defensive form.
A focused Rybakina saved a breakout point in the first game, with the rest barely able to serve.
After the Sablenka stays level, the Rybakina moves to a higher gear. She rushed into five straight games without double failures and freezes Sabalenka with a backhand drive.
After four games in the game, Rybakina hit her wings to a draw in order to fight for a breakpoint and broke Sabalenka’s backhand error with a score of 3-1.
The WTA ACE leader whipped the broad ace, which kept her stamped with a 4-1 lead in love just 20 minutes after the game.
Rybakina played on calm command, nine out of nine on the first stump and saved the lonely breakout point she encountered in a confident 28-minute opening game.
The former Wimbledon champion took a set lead in 16 of his last 18 points as both women left the court before the second set began.
Rybakina beat back two breakout points and then cut the successive ACE to the second set, i.e. all.
The position of that company triggered a subsequent break. Rybakina made a mistake for the double breakpoint and then hit her backhand 2-1.
In Game 8, the highest seed threatened to serve and received several rest points. Rybakina wiped those two breakout points with ACE (10th and 11th ace in the quarterfinals) and then watched nicely on the open court as Sabalenka missed the high front ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6chnyfzzmm
Rybakina beat four mistakes for the fourth time in a row while serving in the game, and his fourth love lasted a 75-minute victory.
