Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev, avenging last week's defeat to the Russian in Montreal. (More Tennis News)
Sinner was eliminated from the Canadian Open by Rublev at his last tournament, having missed the Par🎉is Olympic Games due to a bout of tonsillitis.
He fought back from a set down to avoid a repeat in blustery conditꦯions in Ohio on Saturday, having looked to be in trouble when he faced two break꧋ points at a set down.
The world number one saved both of those points before recovering from an awkward fall to𓂃 win a 26-shot rally at 4-4, ultimately serving out the second set at the second opportunity.
Sinner then held off something of a third-set resurgence from Rublev to seal😼 a gruelling two-hour, 25-minute victory, before expressing pride at the way he responded to adversity.
"It took a lot of ♐mental strength today," Sinner said after his win. "It was very tough conditions, very windy.
"In the first set he started very well and I didn't play my best tennis but in the second set, I felt I had a lot of chances. I waited f🦹or my chance. I am very happy to make the♏ semis."
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka teed up a heavyweight semi-final clash with Iga Swiat💯ek in the women's draw, easing to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Liudmila Samsonova.
Sabalenka needed just one hour and 19 minut𒆙es to seal her win, reeling off 10 of the last 13 games to level her all-time head-to-head record with Samsonova at 2-2.
Data Debrief: Sabalenka joins exclusive club
Sabalenka is into her fourth semi-final at the Cincinnati Open, a joint-record at the competition among WTA players in the Open Er♑a.
Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams andꦅ Simona Halep are the only other women to achieve that feat.
