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Ash Barty has repelled resistance from former world No.1 Angelique Kerber to advance to the Cincinnati Open final.
Ash Barty is again looking every inch the world No.1 and favourite for the US Open, repelling a battling effort from Angelique Kerber to power into the final of the Cincinnati Open.
The Australian overcame a blip in concentration early in the second set to recover her magisterial form and roar to a 6-2 7-5 victory in one hour 14 minutes.
"I feel like I'm playing well at the moment," said a delighted Barty, who really does seem to possess the precision and clear thinking at the moment that puts her a cut above her opponents.
"We have been able to execute game plans well.
"I feel like I'm moving well, and I've got control of the ball. That's all I can ask of myself."
In a reprise of their Wimbledon semi-final last month when Barty also came out on top in straight sets, the Queenslander soon seemed to have a measure of control in this sixth meeting with 33-year-old Kerber as she raced through the first set in 27 minutes.
She'd reeled off six straight games when Germany's three-time grand slam winner showed her steel and finally took advantage of a seeming dip in Barty's form and concentration levels to break serve twice.
The Wimbledon champ, though, regained her equilibrium and struck for her crucial fifth break of Kerber's delivery in the 12th game to make it into her sixth final of the season, without so far having dropped a set all week.
The Aussie will on Sunday shoot for a fifth title of what she calls her "grand adventure" of a season - against Swiss wildcard Jil Teichmann, who accounted for Czech Karolina Pliskova, Barty's opponent in the Wimbledon final, 6-2 6-4.
Barty's form, after the disappointment of her first round defeat at the Tokyo Olympics, has resembled her fairly clinical domination at the All England Club - she hammered another 29 winners and 12 aces against Kerber.
She's now won 15 of her past 16 tour matches and this was her 39th WTA win this year - a tour-leading figure - which left Kerber reflecting: "She has so much confidence right now.
"She plays so well, served good and this is also a big weapon from her.
"She's just playing really like tricky, as well.
"She knows where to put the ball and how to play in the moments where it's really important.
"You know, that's why she's where she is."
The US Open, the final grand slam of 2021, commences in New York on August 30.
