BERLIN — In a stunning upset, Marketa Vondrousova defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-4 during their semifinal clash on Saturday, paving her path to face Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu in the thrilling final of the Berlin Open.
The 2023 Wimbledon champion, Vondrousova, achieved her first victory over a reigning top-ranked player in just one hour and 21 minutes.
Sabalenka, who made an impressive comeback on Friday by saving four match points against Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals, had triumphed in all seven semifinals she contested this year. However, she struggled to find an answer against Vondrousova, ranked 164th, who had missed three months of the season due to a shoulder injury.
This Sunday marks Vondrousova’s first final appearance since her Wimbledon victory. Wang secured her spot by defeating Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 6-1 in the other semifinal earlier that day, making it her very first final as well.
