The match between the world number one, the Belarusa Aryna Sabalenka and the Switzerland Rebeka Masarova, of the second round of the Berlin Tennis Tournament, was postponed until Thursday at the end of the first set for the conditions of the track, with the slippery grass, especially on one side of the track.
Sabalenka had won the first set by 6-2 and at the end of the partial, Masarova, which last December left the Spanish nationality to assume that of Switzerland, warned the judge of the situation and preferred not to play because his place on the court slipped because of moisture.
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.
Aryna Sabalenka had won the first set before suspension
The match is already part of the game order of Thursday in a session that contemplated the elimination of the American Jessica Pegula, third in the world and currently owned by the title, which wasted two points of the game 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, Duel between two ex -friends.
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, showed more dexterity in grass. The two victories on Pegula have been on this surface. In Wimbledon, in 2021 and now in Berlin.
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Champion in Hertogenbosch in 2024, also on lawn, the last of his five titles, finalist this course in Strasbourg, did not decline despite the fact that he was against the ropes in the final stretch of the third set, when with 5-4, Pegula, 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, he could not give continuity to her 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.
Previously, Tunisian Ons Jabeur advanced in Berlin. The twice finalist in Wimbledon took a step forward in this section of the season and got Jasmine Paolini to his first victory against a top 5 in almost two years. He won the transalpine in second round 6-3 and 6-1.
The African player will play in the quarterfinals against the winner of the duel between the Russian Diana Shnaider and the Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
The Tunisian and Samsonova join the Spanish Paula Badosa, eighth favorite, who also reached its quarterfinals of 2025 after defeating Emma Navarro 7-6 (2) and 6-3.
Badosa waits for the winner of the match between China Xinyu Wang and the American Coco Gauff, second standard.
