Sabalenka Dominates Pegula to Claim Cincinnati Open Title, Sets Sights on US Open
Aryna Sabalenka has concluded her US Open preparations in style, claiming the Cincinnati Open title with a dominant 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula in the final, CNN reports.
This victory marks a perfect week for the new world No. 2, who remained undefeated throughout the tournament, dropping not a single set on her way to the title. This is her first championship since successfully defending her Australian Open crown in January.
Sabalenka faced a formidable opponent in world No. 6 Pegula, who was on a nine-match winning streak following her Canadian Open triumph last week. Pegula was aiming to become the first woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1973 to win both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in the same season, but Sabalenka’s power and precision proved too much to overcome.
“I would say that I’m really playing great tennis,” Sabalenka said after the match. “Probably not like the best tennis I can play, but I’m definitely getting there. And with every match I play, I feel better, better and better, and hopefully at the US Open, I can keep building the level, and I can – I can reach maybe even higher level than I used to play.”
Sabalenka’s serve was particularly dominant, with 10 aces and a 91% win rate on first serves. Pegula jokingly compared her opponent’s serving to Serena Williams after the match, saying:
“It felt like Serena [Williams] today with the way you were serving there.”
The Cincinnati Open win marks Sabalenka’s sixth WTA 1000 title, solidifying her position as one of the most consistent performers on the tour. This victory also improves her head-to-head record against Pegula to 5-2, adding confidence as she heads to the US Open.
“Incredible couple weeks,” Pegula said. “Unfortunately, too good from Aryna today. I mean, she was playing at a really high level and it didn’t seem to come down. And I had some chances at the end, but wasn’t able to do it.”
The US Open is set to begin on August 26th, with Sabalenka poised to make a strong run at the coveted Grand Slam title following her impressive Cincinnati triumph.
