The match between the world number one, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka Y La Suiza Rebeka Masarova, of the second round of Berlin tennis tournament, was postponed until Thursday At the end of the first set for the conditions of the track, with the slippery grassespecially on one side of the track.
Sabalenka had won the first set by 6-2 And at the end of the partial, Masarova, who last December left the Spanish nationality to assume that of Switzerland, warned the judge of the situation And he preferred not to play because his place on the court slipped.
The referee accepted the indication and suspended the meeting that will continue on Thursday despite the strangeness of the world number one. “Are you going to stop the game because she says that side is slippery? I just played two games on that side, “said Sabalenka.
Rebeka Masarova, after slipping on the track.
Defeat by Jessica Pegula
The meeting is already part of the game order of Thursday in a session that contemplated the elimination of the American Jessica Pegula, Third of the world and current holding of the title, which wasted two points of the party against the Russian Liudmila Samsonova, who starred in a great comeback (6-7 (8), 7-5 and 7-6 (5)) and agreed to the quarterfinals of the Berlin tournament, in the duel between two former champions.
The Russian, twenty of the world, kept the guy for three and a half hours to defeat the American for the second time. But Samsonova, winner in 2021, demonstrated more grass skills. The two victories on Pegula have been on this surface. In Wimbledon, in 2021 and now in Berlin.
Campeona and Hertogenbosch and EL 2024also on the grass, the last of his five titles, finalist this course in Strasbourg, did not decline even though he was against the ropes in the final stretch of the third set, when with 5-4, Pegula, he had two points of the game. The Russian, at the service, saved in a solvent way, with two direct serves and took the game to the tiebreaker, where she was superior.
Pegula, with eight trophies, two in this 2025, Charleston and Austin and finalist in Miami and Adelaida, could not continue its preparation in grass. Berlin's was its staging on this type of surface. He will no longer play games before Wimbledon. Samsonova, meanwhile, will face the winner of the match between the Polaca Magdalena Frech and the American Anisimova.
