Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has kicked off her grass-court season with an impressive straight-set victory over Spain’s Rebeka Masarova at the Berlin Open. The 24-year-old Czech player, who made headlines by becoming the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon singles title, secured a 6-4, 6-3 win in the German capital.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Vondrousova has now extended her winning streak on grass to eight matches. Her Berlin Open debut saw her navigate a challenging first set where she faced three break points, ultimately breaking Masarova in the ninth game to take the lead and close out the set. In the second set, Vondrousova continued her dominance, breaking Masarova’s serve early and building a 4-1 lead. Despite a brief resurgence from Masarova, Vondrousova maintained her composure to clinch the victory. She will next face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the tournament.
The Berlin Open boasts a competitive field, with eight of the world’s top 10 players participating, excluding top-ranked Iga Swiatek and world number seven Jasmine Paolini. Upcoming matches feature Chinese sixth seed Zheng Qinwen against four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari against two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka, and Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur versus Wang Xinyu.
Over at the Birmingham Classic, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko experienced an early exit, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Ostapenko struggled with her serve, which was broken multiple times in the first set, allowing Cocciaretto to dominate and eventually win on her seventh match point. Additionally, Romanian third seed Sorana Cirstea was defeated by China’s Lin Zhu, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
With Ostapenko and Cirstea out, the spotlight is on Czech world number 22 Barbora Krejcikova and British number one Katie Boulter. Boulter, who recently retained her Nottingham Open title, showcased her tenacity by overcoming a set deficit to defeat Karolina Pliskova in the final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“This is a bit of deja vu,” Boulter said after her win. “It feels surreal to win here again. This place holds a special meaning for me, and it’s been an incredible week.”
Boulter’s path to victory in Nottingham included a challenging semi-final against fellow Briton Emma Raducanu, which was interrupted by weather and resumed the next day. Boulter’s ability to rebound and win both the semi-final and final highlights her readiness for the upcoming Wimbledon tournament.
The Birmingham Classic continues to see strong performances, with Canadian sixth seed Leylah Fernandez easily defeating Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1, 6-1, and Russian seventh seed Anastasia Potapova advancing with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Elina Avanesyan.
In men’s doubles at Nottingham, British player Marcus Willis and his Australian partner John Peers emerged victorious against Frenchman Harold Mayot and Australian Luke Saville, winning 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 10-7. Willis, known for his remarkable Wimbledon run in 2016, has found success in doubles despite a career plagued by injuries.
Looking ahead, the Queen’s Club tournament in West Kensington promises exciting matchups. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and former winner Grigor Dimitrov lead the field, with British star Andy Murray also set to compete.
As the grass-court season progresses, tennis fans can look forward to more thrilling action leading up to Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.
