Serena battles Halap in Cincinnati tennis final

Defending champion Serena Williams gave herself a chance to make it two Cincinnati titles in a row, beating 14th-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday.

“It definitely feels good to be back in the finals,” Williams said. “I was playing aggressive more today, and it really helped me, and it can keep me going for the next few weeks.”

The No. 1 player in the world, Williams, 33, will face third-seeded Simona Halep, who beat Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Read also: Serena eyes US Open after Wimbledon triumph

Halep’s win will move her ahead of Maria Sharapova, who withdrew from Cincinnati with a leg injury, into the No. 2 seed for the US Open.

Williams is using the Cincinnati tournament as a final tuneup for the US Open, where she will attempt to win her fourth consecutive Grand Slam of the year and the 22nd of her career.

The last player to achieve a calendar Grand Slam was Steffi Graf in 1988.

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