Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova battled past Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu in a hard-fought three-set final on Sunday to win the Berlin Open, marking her first title since her stunning triumph at the All England Club two years ago.
The 25-year-old Czech, who has endured a turbulent 12 months plagued by injury and slipped as low as 164th in the world rankings, came through a tense encounter 7-6(10), 4-6, 6-2 to lift the third title of her career.
“It’s nice to see a full crowd. I really enjoyed the tennis week and the support,” Vondrousova said after the match. “Congrats on a great week, you played an amazing match,” she added, addressing her opponent. “It was an amazing week — we had everything we needed. I feel like it could not have been better for us here. We were all working really hard. We came here to try and win the first match. So very happy.”
Vondrousova had to survive a fierce challenge from Wang, who came through qualifying and impressively defeated four top-20 players en route to her maiden WTA singles final. The 23-year-old impressed with pinpoint baseline winners and consistent pressure on return, particularly in the first two sets.
The opening set was a tense affair, with Vondrousova saving six set points in a dramatic tie-break before clinching it 12-10. Wang, unfazed by the occasion, struck back in the second, earning a single break to take the set and force a decider.
Having slipped and tweaked her ankle in the first set, Vondrousova showed no signs of discomfort in the third, racing into a 4-1 lead after two crucial breaks. She closed out the match in style at 5-2, with a flawless service game that included a deft dropshot, a crisp crosscourt backhand winner, and a forehand that forced an error from Wang on the first match point.
The Berlin title crowns a resurgent run for Vondrousova, who knocked out Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the first round and world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals. With Wimbledon just a week away, the Czech left-hander is once again a major threat on grass.