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Aryna Sabalenka broke through 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday to reach a first career final at the Cincinnati Masters after opponent Iga Swiatek saved nine match points.
The four-time semi-finalist here will rise to second in the WTA rankings with a week to go before the start of the US Open.
World number one Swiatek put up a huge battle in the closing stages of a match occasionally delayed as ballkids wiped down the lines with towels due to persistent passing raindrops.
Sabalenka held a lead of a set and 5-1 and dropped serve before finally breaking Swiatek to conclude as she finally converted on her 10th match-winning chance, a return winner after nearly two hours of play.
“I finally broke the barrier,” Sabalenka said of her long-sought place in the final..
“It was such a tough battle with Iga, and we also had to be patient with the weather.
“On the match points I just had to tell myself that this is why she’s world number one and will fight to the last point. I just had to keep doing the job and hopefully win.”
The victory served as revenge for Sabalenka, who lost Masters-level clay finals to Swiatek in Madrid and Rome last spring.
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