Gauff and Pegula set for historic all-American Cincinnati final
The Cincinnati Open will host its first all-American women's final in 56 years as Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula advance to the decider, following a semi-final night that saw defending champion Iga Swiatek eliminated.
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will contest the women's final at the Cincinnati Open, marking a historic milestone for the tournament. The upcoming decider represents the first all-American women's final at the event in 56 years, with the previous occurrence dating back to 1970 when Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey.
Pegula secured her place in the final by defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek in a three-set semi-final contest. The third seed rallied from a break down in the deciding set to overcome the six-time Grand Slam champion, who had recently won the women's title in Toronto to end an 11-month title drought. The match was interrupted briefly by rain in the opening set, but Pegula capitalised on a Swiatek double fault to take the first set before prevailing in the decider.
In the other women's semi-final, fourth seed Gauff dispatched unseeded Czech player Sara Bejlek in a dominant performance. The 20-year-old, who is a two-time Grand Slam winner, won the match 6-4 6-1 in just 76 minutes. Gauff had previously stunned world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys to reach the last four, capitalising on a catalogue of unforced errors from Bejlek to seal the victory.
In the men's draw, fellow American Frances Tiafoe advanced to the final after defeating Brandon Nakashima 7-5 6-3. Tiafoe will face France's Arthur Fils, who has risen 10 spots to No 11 in the ATP live rankings following his run to the decider. The Frenchman produced a commanding display to defeat seventh seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3 6-4, recording 22 winners and six aces in the process.
Fils, who won the Barcelona Open in April, noted that his momentum shifted after winning long rallies in the first set. He maintained his intensity in the second set, dictating play with sharp forehands to secure the victory. The Cincinnati Open serves as a key preparatory event for the US Open, which is scheduled to commence on 30 August.
According to Sky Sports, the tournament continues to draw significant attention as a warm-up for the Grand Slam season. Both the ATP and WTA tours will be covered live, with the US Open also set to begin on the same platform from August 30.
