Liudmila Samsonova downs Naomi Osaka in Berlin WTA first round

Russia's Liudmila Samsonova took 2hr 36 min to get past the four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED Jun 18, 2025, 01:28 AM

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BERLIN – Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova came from a set down to beat Naomi Osaka 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the first round of the Berlin Open WTA event on June 16.

The world No. 20, who won the tournament in 2021, took 2hr 36min to get past the four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan.

“I was just trying to fight till the end,” Samsonova said on court. “I said, ‘OK, till the last ball, I will try to push and try to find my game’.”

Her victory sets up a last-16 clash with American world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on June 18.

Osaka broke her opponent twice in the opening set but Samsonova held her serve in the second before winning a tiebreak, winning the final four points.

Both exchanged breaks in the final set before the Russian 26-year-old broke a second time, putting her on track for victory.

Osaka’s defeat is the latest setback in the former world No. 1’s comeback since returning from maternity leave in 2024.

She was also defeated in the first round of the French Open.

This is the fourth meeting between the two since Osaka returned to the circuit at the beginning of 2024, with the ledger standing at two wins each.

One of the oldest women’s tournaments in the world, the Berlin Open switched from clay to grass courts in 2021 and has since become a popular warmup event for Wimbledon, which starts at the end of June.

In men’s tennis, Frances Tiafoe fell to a first-round exit at Queen’s Club on June 16 as veteran Brit Dan Evans rolled back the years, while fourth seed Holger Rune eased through.

Evans, who needed a wild card for his place in the draw after sliding to 199th in the world rankings, proved too good for the seventh seed in a 7-5, 6-2 win.

“I still believed I’ve got that tennis in me and I still believe I can do good things inside the top 100. But believing it and it happening is a lot different,” said Evans after winning the first men’s match on the newly christened Andy Murray Arena.

The 35-year-old was a fitting victor as he had partnered Murray in his final match before retirement in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.

“A few people mentioned it, that I had finished with him in his last match and then played the men’s event, the first match,” added Evans. “It was pretty cool to do that.”

Rune had no such problems as the Dane eased into his grass-court season with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Australian lucky loser Christopher O’Connell.

British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia’s Alex Bolt with a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

But there was disappointment for another home favourite in Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 7-6 (8-6), 1-6, 6-1 by Czech rising star Jakub Mensik.

The 19-year-old, who beat Novak Djokovic to win the Miami Masters in March, next faces Roberto Bautista Agut, who edged out Nuno Borges 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-4.

Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald got the better of 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4.

French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz started his campaign with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over Australian Adam Walton.

Walton was the lucky loser who replaced Alcaraz’s fellow-Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard was set to take on Alcaraz but withdrew just over two hours before he was due to step on court.

However, the decision has not been attributed to the 26-year-old getting married on the weekend.

Alcaraz will face compatriot Jaume Munar next. AFP

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