Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula will clash for the title at the 2024 Cincinnati Open on Monday. The duo came through contrasting wins in the last four to set up the blockbuster summit clash.
First out on Center Court, Sabalenka ended her three-match losing streak against Iga Swiatek in the semifinal. She was dominant in all aspects, breaking the World No. 1 on five occasions en route to a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The Belarussian has in fact been playing solid tennis all week, having previously beaten Liudmila Samsonova, Elina Svitolina and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets as well.
The results are especially impressive given her exits at the Citi Open and the Canadian Open. While she lost to Marie Bouzkova in the semifinal at the former despite being the top seed, she came up short against Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals at the latter.
Pegula, meanwhile, extended her winning streak to nine. Having successfully defended her Canadian Open title last week, she has posted four big wins in Cincinnati this week to put herself in the best possible position ahead of the US Open.
The American got the better of Karolina Muchova, Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez to make the semifinal, where she battled past Paula Badosa in a rain-interrupted match 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Pegula has previously been tested by Muchova and Fernandez. While she came back from a set down to beat the Czech in her opener, she took another big win in a third-set tiebreaker against the Canadian in the quarterfinal.
Pegula and Sabalenka will step onto Center Court on Monday looking to capture the Cincinnati Open crown for the first time in their careers.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula Cincinnati Open Final schedule
Fixture: (6) Jessica Pegula vs (3) Aryna Sabalenka
Time: August 19 (Monday); Time TBD
Venue: Center Court, Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio
Where to watch
Viewers in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada can watch the Cincinnati Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on beIN Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.
