Swiatek into Cincinnati semis after Rybakina injury

What the report says

Iga Swiatek reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters on Thursday after Elena Rybakina retired from their quarterfinal because of a heel injury. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the match ended less than half an hour in, with Rybakina stopping while trailing in the opening set. The withdrawal is notable because Rybakina, the world number two from Kazakhstan, is due to defend her fitness only 10 days before the US Open begins in New York later this month.

Swiatek, the defending Cincinnati champion and a two-time Grand Slam winner, said she was concerned about Rybakina’s condition and hoped the injury would not affect her US Open preparations. The result also prevented Rybakina from chasing a possible rise to world number one, which she could have achieved had she reached the final, given Aryna Sabalenka’s earlier exit.

In the other women’s quarterfinal, Jessica Pegula beat Amanda Anisimova in three sets to reach the last four. In the men’s draw, Flavio Cobolli and Arthur Fils advanced to the semifinals, with Cobolli beating Tommy Paul and Fils defeating Thiago Tirante in a shorter match. The tournament is serving as a major lead-in to the US Open, offering players a final high-level test before the season’s final Grand Slam.