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The No.9 seed delivered a brilliant performance to secure her seventh career win over a top-ranked player and set up a blockbuster clash with Poland's Iga Swiatek in a showdown of former Wimbledon champions.

Rybakina fired 11 aces throughout the match, earning an impressive 81 per cent of points on her first serve, while saving all five break points she faced as she secured her fifth win over Sabalenka in 12 meetings.

"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key," former world No.3 Rybakina said.

"We're both big hitters. Today I served really well. If Aryna serves well, it's completely different. Hopefully I continue like this."

Earlier, No.3 seed Swiatek advanced to her first WTA 1000 semi-final in 15 months, beating Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4.

Kalinskaya, who had defeated Swiatek in their only previous meeting, put up a spirited fight by saving four match points, before the six-times grand slam winner converted her fifth opportunity on serve to seal the victory.

"I just played my game," Swiatek said. "For sure, it wasn't easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure."

Veronika Kudermetova breezed past Varvara Gracheva 6-1 6-2 to reach her first Cincinnati semi-final. The Russian seems to be back to the form that once carried her into the top 10, earning her first WTA 1000 last-four spot since 2023.

She will next face either No.2 seed Coco Gauff or No.7 seed Jasmine Paolini in the semi-finals.