Jessica Pegula will face Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati Open final after battling past Paula Badosa. (More Tennis News)
World number six Pegula was made to wait for victory after a lengthy rain delay, eventually triumphing 6-2 3-6 6-3 on Sunday.
Sabalenka, the world number three, awaits in the showpiece after clinching a straight-sets victory over Iga Swiatek.
The 30-year-old Pegula raced out the blocks, breaking twice to snatch a 4-0 lead, despite requiring three break points to deal the second blow to Badosa.
Pegula did not look back from there, wrapping up the opener in 38 minutes before the match was paused with the score level midway through the second set.
Badosa utilised that prolonged stoppage to bounce back, taking both break chances to send the semi-final to a decider.
Yet Pegula held her nerve, staving off four break points to hold out for a 2-1 third-set lead before Badosa faltered on her own serve to fall to defeat in just under two hours.
Data Debrief: Pegula matches career-high
Straight off the back of her Canadian Open triumph, Pegula is in red-hot form heading into the final against Sabalenka, aiming for back-to-back WTA 1000 event triumphs.
The six-time major quarter-finalist has now won her last nine matches across WTA Tour outings, matching her previous career-best streak. Pegula is the sixth player in the Open Era to reach the finals at the Canadian and Cincinnati Open in a calendar year after Rosie Casals, Evonne Goolagong, Na Li, Serena Williams and Simona Halep.
Badosa continues to wait for her maiden victory over Pegula, while the Spaniard is also without a top-10 win on the hard courts since beating Barbora Krejcikova two years ago in Sydney.
