Liudmila Samsonova Downs Naomi Osaka In Berlin WTA First Round

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 Tuesday. The world number 20, who won the tournament in 2021, took two hours and 36 minutes to get past the four-time Grand Slam winner. Samsonova's victory sets up a last 16 clash with American world number three Jessica Pegula on Wednesday. Osaka broke her opponent twice in the opening set but Samsonova held her serve in the second before winning a tie break, 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 number one's comeback since returning from maternity leave last year. 

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

This is the fourth meeting between the two since Osaka returned to the circut 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 warm-up event for Wimbledon, which starts at the end of the month.

Later on Tuesday, world number four Qinwen Zheng faces 2022 Wimbeldon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. 

The top four seeds at the tournament, including French Open finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, along with Pegula and Jasmine Paolini, all enter at the last 16 stage on Wednesday. 

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