Rybakina upsets Sabalenka to reach Cincinnati Open semis, Alcaraz through

Elena Rybakina powered into her first Cincinnati Open semi-final after stunning defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-1 6-4 on Friday, while five-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a second-set blip to beat Andrey Rublev.

The Kazakh ninth seed delivered a fine performance to secure her seventh career win over a top-ranked player, setting up a blockbuster last-four clash with six-times major winner Iga Swiatek in a showdown of Wimbledon champions.

Rybakina fired 11 aces throughout the match, earning an impressive 81 per cent of points on her first serve, while saving all five break points she faced as she secured her fifth win over Belarusian Sabalenka in 12 meetings.

"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key," former world number three Rybakina said. "We're both big hitters. Today I served really well. If Aryna serves well, it's completely different. Hopefully I continue like this."

Earlier, Swiatek advanced to her first WTA 1000 semi-final in 15 months after beating Russian 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4.

Kalinskaya, who had defeated Swiatek in their only previous meeting, put up a spirited fight by saving four match points, before the Polish third seed converted her fifth opportunity on serve to seal the victory.

"I just played my game," Swiatek said. "For sure, it wasn't easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure."

Russian Veronika Kudermetova carved out a comfortable 6-1 6-2 victory over Varvara Gracheva to reach the semis of Cincinnati for the first time.

Kudermetova appears to be back to the form that once carried her into the top-10 as she earned her first WTA 1000 last-four spot since 2023.

She will next face Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, who rallied from a set down to shock twice Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff 2-6 6-4 6-3.

"I tried to fight every point and it worked. I'm really happy. Thank you for cheering for me ... because we are in the States ... Coco is from here," Paolini, the French Open and Wimbledon runner-up last year, said.

ALCARAZ SURVIVES RUBLEV SCARE

In the men's draw, Spanish second seed Alcaraz battled to a 6-3 4-6 7-5 victory over Russian ninth seed Rublev to reach the semi-finals.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz was far from his best, committing 15 unforced errors and three double faults in the decider, but capitalising on his lone match point, courtesy of a Rublev double fault, to secure his 15th consecutive Masters 1000 win.

"Playing someone like Andrey, when you lose focus on two or three points, it can cost you the set or the match. I just stayed strong mentally and that's what I'm most proud of," Alcaraz said.

"It's just accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, that it's going to be a really tough battle, and I love that."

Alcaraz, winner of 37 of his last 39 matches, advanced to his 12th Masters 1000 semi-final, equalling the mark of world number one Jannik Sinner, who faces French qualifier Terence Atmane in the other semi-final.

Next up for Alcaraz is third seed Alexander Zverev, who knocked out Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton with a comprehensive 6-2 6-2 win.

"I came out today and probably felt the best I've felt in a few months. Was feeling the ball incredibly well from both sides," Zverev, who won the Cincinnati title in 2021, said.

But the German struggled physically and called for the doctor in the second set.

"In the first set I started feeling not so great and it got progressively worse. But I'm in the semi-finals and I'll do everything I can to be 100% tomorrow."