In a gripping first-round clash at the Berlin Open, Liudmila Samsonova rallied from a set down to defeat Naomi Osaka 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4, reigniting her grass-court momentum and leveling their head-to-head at 2-2. Osaka, who returned to the tour last year after maternity leave, looked sharp early—breaking Samsonova twice to take the opening set. But the Russian, a former Berlin champion, found her rhythm in the second, holding serve and dominating the tiebreak with four straight points to close it out. The final set saw both players trade breaks before Samsonova, powered by 14 aces and a 60% first-serve rate, broke again and held firm to seal the win in just over two and a half hours. The victory sets up a high-stakes second-round showdown with world No. 3 Jessica Pegula. For Osaka, it’s another early exit following her first-round loss at the French Open, underscoring the challenges of her comeback journey. Still, her aggressive play and flashes of brilliance suggest she’s not far from regaining top form.
Samsonova Stuns Osaka in Berlin Comeback Thriller
