Vondrousova beats Chinese qualifier Wang to win Berlin Open

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BERLIN (AP) — Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova put months of injuries behind her to beat Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 7-6 (10), 4-6, 6-2 and win the Berlin Open on Sunday.

For the 25-year-old Vondrousova, who had dropped to 164 in the rankings after undergoing surgery on her left shoulder, it’s her first title in her first final since winning Wimbledon in 2023.

“We were all working really hard to get me back and I felt like, you know, we came here to try to win the first match and now this is happening. So I’m just very grateful to be standing here and very grateful for you guys,” Vondrousova told her team.

Vondrousova defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals to reach the showdown with Wang, who was playing her seventh match in nine days after coming through the qualifiers.

The 23-year-old Wang defeated former champion Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals to reach her first final. Earlier, she ousted Daria Kasatkina, Coco Gauff and Paula Badosa after qualifying.

“It’s been an unbelievable week for us. And I just, we keep on building and looking forward for the next one,” said Wang, who only had 10 wins this year before appearing at the grass-court tournament.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis