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Top-Ranked Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner Reach Semifinals in Cincinnati

Jannick Sinner of Italy serves to Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day 7 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2024, in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jannick Sinner of Italy serves to Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day 7 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2024, in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Top-Ranked Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner Reach Semifinals in Cincinnati

Jannick Sinner of Italy serves to Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day 7 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2024, in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jannick Sinner of Italy serves to Andrey Rublev of Russia during Day 7 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2024, in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner fended off challenges Saturday to reach the semifinals in the Cincinnati Open.

Swiatek extended her match winning streak to 15 with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory over 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Swiatek will face third-ranked Arnya Sabalenka, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over 10th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.

Sinner avenged last week’s loss to No. 6 Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals in Montreal with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory to become the first Italian man to reach the Cincinnati semis in the Open era.

"It was very windy and I tried to be as consistent as possible," Sinner said. "First time that I’ve played a semifinal in this place, so that’s very positive."

Swiatek and Sabalenka have met twice already this year, with Swiatek winning consecutive finals in Madrid and Rome. Swiatek is 8-3 against the two-time Grand Slam winner.

"We're both players that kind of deserve to be in semifinals and finals, because we're working very hard," Swiatek said. "I respect Aryna so much. Physically, she's always fighting and has lots of power."

Neither player has reached the final in Cincinnati.

Swiatek lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff last year in her first semifinal appearance. Sabalenka is a three-time semifinalist, including each of the past two years.

"We've had a lot of great battles in the past," Sabalenka said. "It's always a high-intensity match. I'm really looking forward to another great battle against her."

Sinner will face No. 3 Alexander Zverev. Zverev, the only remaining former champion in the draw, beat Ben Shelton 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Zverev has won four straight against Sinner.

Frances Tiafoe advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year when Hubert Hurkacz retired in the second set because of a calf injury. Tiafoe will face Holger Rune, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Jack Draper in the late match.

In the other women's quarterfinals, No. 6 Jessica Pegula outlasted Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3) for her first semifinal berth in Cincinnati. Pegula, coming off a successful title defense Monday in Canada, will face Paula Badosa.

Badosa beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-2.

"Paula is really playing some good tennis," Pegula said. "She turned her year around and is finding some form. She's a top player."

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PSG Begin Post-Mbappe Era with Win at Le Havre

Ousmane Dembele (R) celebrates after scoring Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 4-1 win at Le Havre - AFP
Ousmane Dembele (R) celebrates after scoring Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 4-1 win at Le Havre - AFP
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PSG Begin Post-Mbappe Era with Win at Le Havre

Ousmane Dembele (R) celebrates after scoring Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 4-1 win at Le Havre - AFP
Ousmane Dembele (R) celebrates after scoring Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 4-1 win at Le Havre - AFP

Paris Saint-Germain began their defense of the Ligue 1 title with a 4-1 win at Le Havre on Friday in their first competitive game since the departure of talisman Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid.

Lee Kang-in gave PSG the lead inside three minutes in Normandy only for Gautier Lloris to equalise, but late goals by Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and a Randal Kolo Muani penalty sealed the victory for the reigning French champions.

It was a comfortable win in the end for Luis Enrique's team, with their substitutes ultimately making the difference as PSG's strength in depth proved too much for a team who only just avoided relegation last season.

"It is the first game back and it's a very good start," said PSG's Spanish coach.

According to AFP, the French international trio of Kolo Muani, Dembele and Barcola all began the game on the bench, while Portugal midfielder Joao Neves came on at half-time for his debut after joining from Benfica for a fee that could reach 69.9 million euros ($76.7m) including bonuses.

Yet Le Havre will wonder what might have been had a Josue Casimir goal -- which would have put them in front early in the second half -- not been disallowed by VAR for a handball.

"We had highs and lows, but the substitutes did a lot of good for us," added Luis Enrique.

"The final score disguises the fact that there are things to improve upon. We gave away lots of easy balls and had we gone 2-1 down that might have changed everything."

PSG have not made any marquee signings to fill the enormous void left by Mbappe, who departed for Madrid in June after scoring 44 goals last season and registering a club-record 256 across his seven years at the club.

It remains to be seen if Luis Enrique's team can repeat their performances of the last campaign, when they swept all the domestic honours and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Spanish coach was without several regulars here, with left-back Nuno Mendes suspended while Fabian Ruiz is not yet ready to return after helping Spain win Euro 2024.

There was a debut on the left wing for Ibrahim Mbaye, who is only 16 and was one of three teenagers in PSG's starting line-up alongside Yoram Zague and Warren Zaire-Emery, both 18.

South Korea star Lee opened the scoring when he collected a Goncalo Ramos pass on the right wing before sending a shot into the far corner with the aid of a deflection.

However, the visitors were then dealt a blow as Ramos was forced off with an ankle injury, and his replacement Kolo Muani then sent a header crashing back off the bar.

Le Havre, in their first game under new coach Didier Digard, improved as the game went on and Abdoulaye Toure had a goal disallowed for offside just before the half-hour mark.

They were level three minutes into the second half when Lloris, the brother of former France captain Hugo, turned in Christopher Operi's free-kick.

The hosts then thought they had taken the lead on 53 minutes when skipper Casimir ran through to score, but VAR ruled his effort out after a long check for a handball.

Lee struck the frame of the goal before Dembele, who had been sent on for the final 20 minutes, gave PSG the advantage again on 85 minutes with a header from a Neves cross.

Barcola curled in a superb third a minute later, and Kolo Muani then won and converted the late penalty which wrapped up the win for the visitors at the Stade Oceane.

Last season's runners-up Monaco face Saint-Etienne on Saturday, while Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge of Marseille will be away to Brest, who surprisingly finished third in the last campaign.