Sinner, Swiatek survive challenges from Cincinnati qualifiers

CINCINNATI, Aug 18 (AFP): World number ones Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek both turned around losing situations on Saturday to move into the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open.
Sinner prevented rival Andrey Rublev from repeating a triumph from last Saturday in Montreal as he defeated the sixth seed in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 fightback.
Swiatek did the same in the women's draw as she worked to overcome teen Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Top seed Sinner took to the court for only his second match of the week after a first-round bye and a walkover on Friday.
But the Italian -- whose fitness has been compromised in recent months by a hip niggle, illness and the tonsillitis which forced him to miss the Olympics -- stormed back to win the second set and break to start the third.
Sinner clinched victory in a set where five of the 10 games were breaks of serve. His match point ball was caught by a gust of wind and put out of the reach of Rublev.
"There was a lot of mental strength required today," Sinner said. "It was tough conditions, very, very windy.
"In the first set I didn't play my best tennis. In the second I improved and was able to wait for my chances.
"I was happy to win today."
Sinner ended with 31 winners, including 10 aces, while Rublev, the runner-up at Montreal, committed 47 unforced errors.
Poland's Swiatek grabbed a break in the penultimate game of a match lasting more than two and a half hours to finally advance past Andreeva at the US Open tuneup, which concludes on Monday.
Swiatek moved through on her first match point, her opponent driving a return long, and won a 30th match this season at the WTA 1000 level.
She stands 53-6 for the season and has won 25 matches on hardcourt.
"It was a tight match. Every point matters at the end. It was not easy for sure," Swiatek said.
"We were both kind of rusty at the beginning of the third set," after the mandatory WTA heat break.
"Even though I'm pretty experienced, I didn't have a lot of occasions to have this break.
"I don't think it was helpful. But, I mean, that's the rule, so..."