CINCINNATI, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Jessica Pegula saw off defending champion Iga Swiatek to set up an all-American Cincinnati Open women’s final against Coco Gauff, while compatriot Frances Tiafoe will take on Frenchman Arthur Fils in the men’s final.
World number three Pegula overcame a wobble in the second set to defeat Swiatek 7-5 4-6 6-4. Both players broke early in the opening set, before rain briefly interrupted play with the score level at 1-1. Pegula resumed with purpose, breaking serve to take a 3-2 lead, and then holding to make it 4-2.
Seventh seeded Swiatek fought back, breaking to level at 4-4 before moving ahead. However, with the set tied at 5-5, Pegula broke again to make it 6-5 and secured the opener when the 25-year-old Pole missed a return and sent an overhead smash into the net.
In the second set, six-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek upped her game, breaking in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. The 32-year-old American broke back to level, but the former world number one sealed the set when Pegula missed a forehand return.
Pegula, who reached the final in Washington earlier this month, refused to give up when Swiatek moved 3-1 ahead in the decider. She levelled at 4-4, earned the decisive break in the next game and served out the victory after two hours and 47 minutes.
“It was a really tough match. She (Swiatek) is in great form. To beat someone who is such a great athlete like Iga in the semis and to make it to another 1000 final, it’s awesome,” Pegula said.
She will face two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff, who beat Czech Sara Bejlek 6-4 6-1. Gauff proved superior in the opening set getting a 4-1 lead after breaking serve. However, Bejlek managed to stay in contention and level at 4-4. Still, this wasn’t enough to stop the 22-year-old American, who broke serve again before closing out the set.
In her first WTA 1000 semi-final, 20-year-old Bejlek’s perseverance was not enough, as Gauff broke twice in the second set and capitalised on her unforced errors to seal victory in 76 minutes.
In the men’s draw, Fils beat seventh seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3 6-4 in a commanding 67-minute display to extend his winning run to five matches. The 24-year-old Italian broke first for a 2-1 lead, but Fils responded immediately to level at 3-3 before holding for a 4-3 lead before breaking in the eighth game as the Italian misfired from the baseline.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, who won the Barcelona Open in April, broke in the opening game of the second set and dictated play with sharp forehands to clinch victory, firing 22 winners and six aces. The four-time ATP Tour champion will face American Tiafoe, who beat compatriot Brandon Nakashima 7-5 6-3.
The Americans traded four consecutive breaks before drawing level at 3-3 in the opening set, but Tiafoe held to love in the seventh game and broke again to move 6-5 ahead before serving out the set. The 27-year-old broke Nakashima for a 3-2 lead in the second set and sealed victory by holding to love.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris, Deepa Babington and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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