Swiatek downs Paolini to claim Cincinnati Open
IGA Swiatek captured her first Cincinnati Open title on Monday by beating Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-4, with the Pole third seed sending a powerful message ahead of the U.S. Open.
The six-times Grand Slam winner did not drop a set on her way to the title and was clinical in the final, converting all six of her break points to clinch her 11th WTA 1000 crown and first since last year’s Italian Open.
She is now the second all-time winner in the WTA 1000 format history, trailing only Serena Williams (23).
The win ensures Wimbledon champion Swiatek will climb back to world number two, securing the second seed for the final major of the year at Flushing Meadows, where singles action begins on Sunday.
Swiatek is also set to team up with Norway’s Casper Ruud in the new U.S. Open mixed doubles event.
Earlier in the day, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz claimed the men’s title after top seed Jannik Sinner retired in the first set as he was feeling unwell on Monday, raising concerns about the Italian’s fitness just days before he is due to begin the defence of his U.S. Open title.
The Spanish second seed snapped the world number one’s 26-match winning streak on hardcourts when his ailing rival signalled he could no longer continue while trailing 5-0 in the first set of the final.
Sinner had been bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2015 to win back-to-back Cincinnati titles but he looked uncomfortable early on in the sweltering conditions.
He called it quits after 23 minutes of play.
Monday’s clash had been expected to be a dress-rehearsal ahead of a potential final showdown between the world’s two best players in New York, with the duo having faced off in the title match at the last two majors.
Monday’s result extended Alcaraz’s head-to-head record over Sinner to 9–5, including a 6–2 edge on hardcourts. — Reuters
