Aryna Sabalenka rises to No 2 after breaking the wall in rivalry with Iga Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka believes she has achieved a breakthrough win over Iga Swiatek as she moved closer to another big title.

Sabalenka advanced to her first WTA Cincinnati Open final, defeating Swiatek 6-3, 6-3 in their semi-final clash.

The Australian Open champion had been eliminated in the last four on three prior occasions, including the past two tournaments, but she defeated her Polish opponent in straight sets for the first time.

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Sabalenka kept the points short and snappy in their third match of the season and first on hard court, thanks to a precise serve and return game.

Swiatek leads the circuit in both service and return game wins, but she failed to break through on both counts on Sunday.

While WTA Tour star from Minsk served at only 52 per cent, she was able to win 67 per cent of her first serves and 53 per cent of her second.

Swiatek, the world No 1, was also aiming for her maiden final in Cincinnati, but a woeful 20% success rate off her second serve contributed significantly to her defeat.

The rankings queen might have gone down in straight sets but Sabalenka felt she couldn’t make any mistakes against a relentless foe.

“It sounds like I broke the wall, finally,” Sabalenka said, after beating Swiatek.

“Of course, I’m super happy to be in the final after such a tough battle against Iga.

“I kept telling myself, that’s why she’s world No. 1. She’s going to fight till the last point so you have got to stay aggressive and keep doing your job.”

On Tuesday, the Belarusian will overtake Coco Gauff to reclaim the No 2 spot in the PIF WTA rankings. Consequently, she is expected to be the No 2 seed in the US Open.

Sabalenka will also leapfrog Elena Rybakina to reach to second place on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard, trailing only Swiatek, who has already qualified for the season-ending tournament.

She admitted that she prefers to be cast in the underdog role but accepted that her rise in the rankings is down to her strong efforts.

“I feel comfortable being in the bottom half of the net, but I’ll be more comfortable to see myself on the top half of the net,” Sabalenka said, “I’m trying my best to get there.”