Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff headline Cincinnati Masters final

Pegula brushed off a second-set slump to overcome a resurgent Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday. While Swiatek showed flashes of brilliance against Pegula, this was not a match that will be remembered for its quality and the crucial moment summed up a match that fluctuated throughout.

At 4-4 in the third set, Swiatek coughed up a double fault to hand Pegula the crucial break and she held her nerve to secure a

Pegula came back from 3-1 down in the deciding set to get the win and admitted she was battling a dangerous opponent and tough conditions.

"We were both struggling with the conditions because they were pretty crazy," Pegula told Sky Sports.

"We were both struggling with the serve on our toss. We are both great returners, but we were just struggling with the wind and there was a lot of pressure.

"I think I served a little bit better than she did and to tough it out against one of the best players in the world, it's good for confidence.

"I was telling myself to be brave. I just need to relax a little bit and remind myself that we are just out here trying to get better. It worked today."

Later, Gauff raced into her third WTA Tour final of 2026 with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win over the unseeded Sara Bejlek.

After racing out to a 4-1 lead, Gauff was reeled in by Bejlek to 4-4 in the opening set, with the Czech was bidding for a sixth straight high-profile win in Cincinnati. But she couldn't find the magic.

"I was just trying to stay focused," Gauff said after the one hour and 16-minute match, her first meeting against 20-year-old Bejlek.

"Sometimes you don't know if you should be aggressive and risk making mistakes. I was just trying to stay focused on each ball."

The head-to-head between Pegula and Gauff is almost dead even, with the former leading the battle 5-4.

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