Aryna Sabalenka downs Ons Jabeur as Coco Gauff sets up Iga Swiatek semi in Cincinnati after defeating Jasmine Paolini

Aryna Sabalenka beat Ons Jabeur 7-5 6-3 in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals, while Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini to set up a semi-final with Iga Swiatek.

The 25-year-old Belarusian will face Karolina Muchova, who moved past Marie Bouzkova after her opponent retired as a result of a thigh injury.

Sabalenka was 5-3 up in the first set, and served to close it out before Jabeur broke back to level at 5-5, only for Sabalenka to break the Tunisian once more to take the first set 7-5.

Jabeur broke again and moved 3-1 up, but had to call for the trainer as she needed treatment for a problem on her right leg and foot. It appeared the discomfort hampered her upon her return and she served up two double-faults to give up a break.

Sabalenka then took another four games consecutively to win the second, decisive set.

“Super happy to get this win back,” Sabalenka said after the match. “At the same time I’m a little bit sad for Ons. I really hope she’ll recover fast and she’ll be ready for the US Open.”

Paolini is ranked No. 43 in the world but could only resist her opponent for 72 minutes.

“Really happy with how I was able to play today,” Gauff said after her victory. “She’s not an easy opponent. Last time I played her we had a long three-set match. So I’m happy to get it in in straight sets today.”

Gauff added: “I don’t have a good track record against [Swiatek].

“I feel like the [2023] French Open match that I played her, even though it was a straight-sets score line, I think I made some improvements against her since the last time I played her.

“I’m just really going to go out there and continue to follow the plan that I’ve been doing in the last couple of my matches. … I do feel a lot more confident going into it tomorrow. But she’s not an easy opponent to play, especially against me. I think I really just got to take it point by point and try to stay mentally engaged every ball.”