Top seed Aryna Sabalenka beats Rebeka Masarova in straight sets to reach Berlin quarters

Jun 7, 2025; Paris, FR; Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during the womens singles final against Coco Gauff of the United States on day 14 at Roland Garros Stadium. Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS

UPDATED Jun 20, 2025, 01:12 AM

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BERLIN – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka completed a 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) win over Swiss Rebeka Masarova on June 19 to reach the Berlin Open quarter-finals, completing a match that had been suspended the night before because of slippery conditions.

The Belarusian, playing for the first time since losing to American Coco Gauff in the French Open final almost two weeks ago, was a set up on June 18 when play was stopped after officials said the court was getting too slippery with humidity rising after sunset.

When the match resumed, the 27-year-old was broken at the start of the second set and found herself 3-1 and 4-2 down.

She kept her cool, however, and broke back with a fine volley to force a tiebreak. Sabalenka squandered two match points before sealing her victory at her next opportunity when her 112nd-ranked opponent sank a simple mid-court forehand into the net.

Less than two weeks before Wimbledon, the top seed will next face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

When asked how difficult it was for her to switch from clay to grass, she said: “It’s been a very short time. I wish I would still be in Mykonos, having fun, enjoying my vacation, but here I am in Berlin competing and I love being here. I love grass. It’s so much fun. I’m super happy to be here, and thank you for the warm welcome.”

Second seed Gauff, however, was shocked 6-3, 6-3 by China’s Wang Xinyu.

Earlier, 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova needed three sets and 2hr 20min to break the resistance of Russia's Diana Shnaider.

The Czech, who was 6-5 and 30-0 up in the second set, advanced with a 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 win and will face lucky loser Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist, in the last eight.

On June 18, third seed and defending champion Jessica Pegula tumbled out in the last 16, losing to 2021 champion Liudmila Samsonova 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in a marathon match that lasted 3hr 21min.

The Russian, who will face either Poland’s Magdalena Frech or American Amanda Anisimova next, put her thunderous first serve to good use for much of the match, firing a total of 18 aces to Pegula’s two.

In other women’s tennis news, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova announced on June 19 that she will retire from tennis in September after the US Open.

The Czech returned to competition in February after a 15-month maternity break. The 35-year-old, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 and reached the Australian Open final in 2019, will compete at Wimbledon and the US Open for the last time.

Kvitova, who has won 31 titles over nearly two decades and reached as high as world No. 2, said the 2025 season would be her last.

Her career was marked by resilience, most notably her recovery from a serious injury sustained during a home robbery in 2016.

She wrote in a statement: “I could not have asked or wished for anything more – tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love.”

Since her return at the ATX Open in Austin, Kvitova has lost six of her seven matches, with her only win coming in the first round in Rome. She also competed in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, the French Open and the Queen’s Club Championships in London.

In men’s tennis, British second seed Jack Draper is hoping to “become a Ferrari” after he reached the Queen’s Club quarter-finals with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on June 18.

The 23-year-old was rocked by the world No. 21 in the first set of the second-round tie at the Wimbledon warm-up event. But he hit back to level the match before taking the final-set tiebreak to complete his comeback in a tense encounter lasting 2hr 13 min in searing heat in west London.

Earlier in his career, such a test of endurance would have been too much for Draper, but he believes he is made of sterner stuff these days. “Before, I felt like my energy wasn’t that strong. I felt I looked like a bit of a Ferrari, but I was a bit of a Toyota – and broke down quite easy,” he said.

“Now I’m starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself. I have felt better and better every Grand Slam I have played.” REUTERS, AFP

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