Sabalenka pulls off ‘crazy comeback’ to defeat Rybakina at Berlin Open

By Canadian Press on June 20, 2025.

BERLIN (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback”, saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open tennis tournament on Friday.

Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tiebreak but came storming back, winning six straight points to reach her eighth semifinal of the season.

“Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.

“I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down match points, and not so long ago I was thinking that it’s been a while since I’ve made a crazy comeback, and here I am.

“It’s amazing to win matches like that. I’m proud of myself for how I stayed in it. I was fighting, I was trying until the very last point.”

Sabalenka next faces Marketa Vondrousova, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-1.

Liudmila Samsonova also went through with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amanda Anisimova.

Samsonova will next meet Wang Xinyu or Paula Badosa.

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The Associated Press