Rybakina Serves a Surprise for Aryna

Ninth seed credits service as she lands 11 aces against world No. 1; second-seeded Gauff also beaten

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CINCINNATI — World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and second-ranked Coco Gauff were sent crashing out of the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals on Aug. 15.

Top seed and defending champion Sabalenka had no answer for Elena Rybakina, falling to the 2022 Wimbledon champion 6-1, 6-4 for the fifth career loss in 12 meetings.

Rybakina avenged a loss to the Belarusian in Berlin two months ago and booked a semi-final meeting with Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya.

Rybakina, the ninth seed, was aided by 11 aces as she reached her first Cincinnati semi-final.

"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," the Kazakhstani said. "I served really well."

"If she had been serving well, it would have been a totally different match," she acknowledged.

Rybakina has won her last three matches against Swiatek, all played this season.

But the Pole was feeling confident after downing Kalinskaya in what she called "the best match I played here."