Aryna Sabalenka made the semifinals of the 2023 Western & Southern Open by defeating Ons Jabeur in straight sets with the final score 7-5, 6-3.
It should be remembered that the Tunisinian, finalist at Wimbledon – where she defeated Aryna in the semi-final, among other things – had to deal with an injury to her right foot, which limited her performance.
Sabalenka, in the press conference after the match, talked about the weather conditions in Cincinnati, and about the balls, which are, according to the tennis players, heavy. The world No. 2 said the weather conditions in Cincinnati are helping her control the ball better than many other players, such as Jabeur.
Sabalenka beat Jabeur: “Heavy balls? If your body is not strong enough..”
The Belarusian explained: “I don’t know. I mean, so far I like these balls. I think for my game it’s helping me because my shots are getting even more heavier and even more tough to play against. I don’t want to complain against these balls! But,yeah, I know some of the players doesn’t really like it because, I mean, it’s heavy, it’s tough. If your body is not ready to play a long matches, not strong enough, then, yeah, it can become injury. If you asking my opinion, I like it.”
On the difference between the courts in Montreal and Cincinnati, Sabalenka told: “Well, it’s just different, completely different surfaces here and Montreal. Like, Montreal is super fast. It’s just different. Here, the ball bounce a lot higher. Just super different conditions. Yeah, I mean, it takes a little time to adjust to these conditions, especially if you’ve been playing in Montreal till the last stages of the tournament.”
Sabalenka will find Karolina Muchova in the semifinals. The world number 17 finished in the top four for the first time in a WTA 1000, after the retirement of cuntrywoman Marie Bouzkova. Sabalenka and Muchova played in the semifinals of the Roland Garros, with Ceca winning by saving match points.
Sbalenka said: “I think this surface is particularly suitable for her style of play, but probably on her hard even I feel more confidence against her. I will do everything I can to beat her this time.”