Former champ Samsonova overcomes Osaka in Berlin opener

Liudmila Samsonova, the 2021 Berlin Tennis Open by HYLO champion, fought back from a set down to oust four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the first round. Samsonova will next face defending champion Jessica Pegula in the second round.

Former champion Liudmila Samsonova picked up a gritty victory in the first round of this year's Berlin Tennis Open by HYLO, coming from behind to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4.

World No. 20 Samsonova took 2 hours and 36 minutes to overcome former World No. 1 Osaka from one set down. With the win, Samsonova clinches a place in the Berlin second round for the first time since 2022.

Berlin: Draws | Scores | Order of play | 411

"I was just trying to fight till the end," Samsonova said on court, after picking up her first victory since the Roland Garros third round. "I said, ‘OK, till the last ball, I will try to push and try to find my game.’"

Samsonova and Osaka have faced off often since Osaka's return from maternity leave last year. They had never played each other before 2024, but this was their fourth meeting in the last 15 months. Samsonova leveled their head-to-head at 2-2 with Tuesday's win.

There will now be a battle between Berlin champions in the second round. Samsonova will next face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who won her first career grass-court title here in Berlin last year.

Back at the breakthrough event: When this event returned to the Hologic WTA Tour calendar as a grass-court tournament in 2021, Samsonova emerged as the surprise champion that year.

Samsonova was a 106th-ranked qualifier in that field, but wins over Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka and Belinda Bencic propelled her to that title, kickstarting her rise into the Top 20.

She summoned some championship form to topple Osaka on Tuesday. Osaka was seeking her first Top 20 win since she defeated Karolina Muchova at this year's Australian Open, but Samsonova proved too strong down the stretch.

Match moments: Osaka had 10 winners to Samsonova's eight as the Japanese star powered to the one-set lead. Osaka then had a 0-40 advantage on Samsonova's serve at 5-5 in the second set.

However, big-serving Samsonova found some of her best deliveries of the day to pull off a service hold and eke into the tiebreak. In the breaker, a big forehand gave Samsonova the mini-break at 4-3, and she didn't drop another point.

In the third set, it was the backhand wing that gave Samsonova a crucial break at 3-2. Serving for the match at 5-4, Samsonova successfully saved two break points to halt Osaka's last chance and take the win.

Samsonova is now back on track in the grass-court season. Last week, she was seeded No. 1 in 's-Hertogenbosch but suffered a shock first-round loss to 231st-ranked qualifier Carson Branstine.

More to come...

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