Vondrousova wins Berlin for third career title

Marketa Vondrousova warmed up for Wimbledon in the best possible way as she beat Chinese qualifier Xinyu Wang 7-6 (10), 4-6, 6-2 to win the Berlin Open at the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club on Sunday.

The 2023 Wimbledon champion, who missed the second half of last year due after having shoulder surgery, picked up her third career title, which will propel her back inside the world’s top 100 at around the No 73 mark.

“We came here to try and win the first match, and now this is happening, so I’m very grateful to be standing here,” Vondrousova said. 

Vondrousova, ranked No 164, beat American Madison Keys, the No 7 seed (7-5, 7-6 (6)), Russian Diana Shnaider (6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3), Tunisian lucky loser Ons Jabeur (6-4, 6-1) and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed (6-2, 6-4) ahead of her victory.

Earlier in the tournament, Wang, ranked No 49, defeated Australian Daria Kasatkina (6-3, 6-2), American Coco Gauff, the second seed (6-3, 6-3), Spaniard Paula Badosa, the No 8 seed (6-1, 0-0 ret.) and Russian Liudmila Samsonova (6-4, 6-1).