{"id":2105939,"date":"2026-08-22T06:15:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T03:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2105939"},"modified":"2026-08-22T06:15:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T03:15:39","slug":"what-jessica-pegula-and-iga-swiatek-had-to-say-ahead-of-cincinnati-semi-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2105939","title":{"rendered":"What Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek had to say ahead of Cincinnati semi-final"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">What Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek had to say ahead of Cincinnati semi-final<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/shahidaj\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Shahida Jacobs                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"22 Aug 2026 7:15 AM\" data-ps-date=\"22 Aug 2026 7:15 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1787379339\"><br \/>\n                            22 Aug 2026 7:15 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" 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border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"What Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek had to say ahead of Cincinnati semi-final\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jessica-Pegula-and-Iga-Swiatek-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jessica-pegula\">Jessica Pegula<\/a> and Iga Swiatek will face each other for the 13th time on the WTA Tour when they square off in the semi-final of the Cincinnati Open and both stars are expecting a big challenge.<\/p>\n<p>The pair enjoyed contrasting wins in the quarter-final as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/elena-rybakina-injury-update-retiring-iga-swiatek-cincinnati-open\">Swiatek played only five games<\/a> and was leading 4-1 when Elena Rybakina retired due to a leg injury while Pegula battled for more than two hours as she needed three sets to beat Amanda Anisimova, eventually winning 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4).<\/p>\n<p>It should be a good encounter in Mason on Saturday as both are in good form with Swiatek winning the Canadian Open last week while Pegula finished runner-up at the Washington DC Open and made the round of 16 in Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>Although Swiatek leads the head-to-head 7-5 and also won their most recent encounter in Rome, the rivalry has been pretty even recently as they are 4-4 in the last eight clashes.<\/p>\n<p>Pegula also won their last match on hard courts, but that was nearly four years ago at the US Open.<\/p>\n<h2>WTA News<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/projected-us-open-2026-womens-seeds-aryna-sabalenka-elena-rybakina-alex-eala\">Projected US Open women\u2019s seeds: Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina headline; Alex Eala\u2019s highest position<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/elena-rybakina-cincinnati-open-exit-world-no-1-wta-rankings-aryna-sabalenka\">How Elena Rybakina\u2019s Cincinnati Open exit affects her world No 1 battle with Aryna Sabalenka<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The American is confident of her ball-striking abilities, although she admits that Swiatek\u2019s confidence spells danger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would describe myself as pretty strategic and someone that\u2019s always open to learning and getting better,\u201d the third seed stated. \u201cI think I\u2019m a great ball striker. I\u2019ve only gotten better, even this year I\u2019ve improved on so many things.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would describe myself as even-keeled and a balanced tennis players that\u2019s given me a lot of longevity and consistency over the last few years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pegula added: \u201cI feel Iga has gotten back to her game a little bit, found her footing and her base with just winning matches. We used to see her win pretty straightforward, nothing crazy. I think a confident Iga is always scary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Following poor clay and grass-court campaigns with her Wimbledon defence ending with a third-round defeat to Alex Eala, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/iga-swiatek-ranking-points-prize-money-after-toronto-final-elena-rybakina\">Swiatek has bounced back in style<\/a> with many believing we are seeing the \u201cold Swiatek\u201d again.<\/p>\n<p>The defending Cincinnati Open champion knows Pegula will be a difficult opponent, especially in front of her home crowd.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJessie looks different than me on the court, but she has a great feeling and great ability to predict where the opponents are going to play,\u201d the Pole said. \u201cSo the ball is really hard coming from her racket and tricky. For sure, it\u2019s going to be a challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmerican players also are more pumped to play in American tournaments, so I\u2019ll be ready for her best version. We played many tough matches against each other, and for sure she likes also playing here, so I\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The winner will go on to face either two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff or 20-year-old Sara Bejlek \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\/2026-us-open-wide-open-aryna-sabalenka-competing-against-herself-serena-williams-former-coach\">who took out world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> \u2013 in the final.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek had to say ahead of Cincinnati semi-final Shahida Jacobs 22 Aug 2026 7:15 AM Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek will face each other for the 13th time on the WTA Tour when they square off in the semi-final of the Cincinnati Open and both [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2105939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2105939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105939\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2105939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2105939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2105939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}