Cincinnati Open 2024: Iga Swiatek Sets Up Aryna Sabalenka Semi-final

Iga Swiatek booked her place in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals after coming from behind to deny Mirra Andreeva on Saturday. (More Tennis News)

The world number one recovered from losing the opening set to prevail 4-6 6-3 7-5 after two-and-a-half hours, setting up a mouth-watering last-four clash with Aryna Sabalenka.

In the first ever meeting between the players, Andreeva made a positive start as she broke her opponent in the third game, while saving two break points in the sixth and 10th to draw first blood.

That sparked Swiatek into life; a break in the opening game of the second set proved enough for the four-time French Open champion to level the contest.

The Pole broke again in the decider and, after Andreeva squandered the opportunity to break back at 6-5 by sending a backhand long, she won the next two points to advance to the semi-finals. 

Data Debrief: A perfect 10 from 10 for stubborn Swiatek

Matching her performance from last year in Cincinnati, where she was beaten in the last four by Coco Gauff, Swiatek will hope to go the extra steps this time around.

The Pole maintained her perfect quarter-final record in 2024, having now won all 10 such matches, and is now 16-1 at this stage in WTA 1000 events, with her only defeat coming against Elena Rybakina by retirement in Rome last year.

With her 30th main-draw victory at a WTA 1000 this season, she becomes only the second player after Serena Williams (36 in 2013) to reach that tally in a single year.

And Swiatek has now reached the highest percentage of semi-finals since the format's introduction in 2009 (17 from 31, 54.8%).