The Cincinnati Open will host its first all-American women’s final in 56 years after Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula won their respective semi-finals.
Fourth seed Gauff cruised home in her clash with Sara Bejlek, eclipsing the Czech 6-4 6-1, while third seed Pegula earned her spot by toppling defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5 4-6 6-4.
The last Cincinnati Open final to feature two American women came in 1970 when Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey.
Fellow American Frances Tiafoe also reached the men’s final, where he will face France’s Arthur Fils.
Pegula dethrones Swiatek to secure Gauff final
From 3-1 down in the third set, American Jessica Pegula came back to defeat defending champion Iga Swiatek and book her place in the Cincinnati Open final
Pegula rallied from a break down in the deciding set to defeat six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek in her semi-final.
World No 3 Pegula and seventh seed Swiatek traded breaks early in the opening set before rain briefly interrupted play with the score level at 1-1.
Swiatek clawed her way back, breaking to level at 4-4 before moving ahead, but with the set locked at 5-5, Pegula capitalised on a Swiatek double fault to break for 6-5 before the Pole sent the simplest of smashes into the net to hand Pegula the opener.
In the second set, Swiatek was more aggressive, breaking in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.
Pegula broke back and managed to level the contest, but the former world No 1 levelled things up when Pegula missed a forehand return.
Pegula refused to fade after Swiatek moved 3-1 ahead in the decider. The American levelled at 4-4, earned the decisive break in the next game and then served out for a memorable victory.
“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 Gauff in the final after the two-time Grand Slam winner made light work of unseeded Czech Bejlek in the last four.
The 20-year-old had stunned world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys en route to booking her first WTA 1000 semi-final spot.
Gauff proved superior in the opening set, earning a 4-1 lead after breaking serve early on.
However, Bejlek managed to stay in contention and level at 4-4. It wouldn’t be enough to stop the 22-year-old, however, who broke serve again before closing out the set.
Gauff then broke twice more in the second set, capitalising on a catalogue of Bejlek unforced errors to seal victory in 76 minutes.
Impressive Fils faces Tiafoe in men’s final
Arthur Fils secured a spot in the Cincinnati Open final
Frenchman Fils produced a commanding 67-minute display to sweep aside seventh seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3 6-4 on Saturday and secure his place in the men’s final in Cincinnati.
The 21st seed recovered quickly after Cobolli broke for a 2-1 lead, breaking straight back to level at 2-2.
With the opening set locked at 3-3, Fils improved his performance to take a 4-3 lead before breaking decisively in the eighth game as Cobolli misfired from the baseline.
Fils, who won the Barcelona Open in April, maintained his momentum in the second set, breaking serve in the opening game.
Cobolli held to love at 4-3 to keep the pressure on but Fils proved superior, dictating play with sharp forehands to gain a 5-4 lead and ultimately clinch victory, having scored 22 winners and six aces.
“I was very happy with the performance,” Fils said. “I started pretty slow. I was a bit tight, but I think from 4-3 in the first set when I won those long rallies, just the momentum came my way and I felt so much better.”
Frances Tiafoe cruised into the Cincinnati Open men’s final
Fils has risen 10 spots to No 11 in the ATP live rankings as a result of his run to the final, where he will face Tiafoe after he beat fellow American Brandon Nakashima 7-5 6-3 in their semi-final..
The pair 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 would go on to clinch victory with another impressive hold to love.
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