Aryna Sabalenka preparations for Wimbledon continued as she defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open, but Coco Gauff has been knocked out.
Returning to action for the first time since her shock French Open exit earlier this month, Sabalenka looked comfortable on grass, securing a straight-sets 6-4 6-4 victory over Alexandrova.
Sabalenka will next face Czech Nikola Bartunkova for a place in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, Spain’s unseeded Paula Badosa came from a set down to knock out fifth seed Gauff 1-6 6-3 6-2 – her fifth victory over Gauff in eight career meetings on the WTA Tour.
Coco Gauff, fifth seed in Berlin, is out before the quarters
The Spaniard has reached the Berlin quarter-finals for the second consecutive year. She arrived in Germany on a five-match losing streak, and her first-round win over Suzan Lamens was her first victory since Charleston in April.
She has now reached her first quarter-final of the season where she will meet either No 8 seed Linda Noskova or France’s Diane Parry.
Jessica Pegula, the 2024 champion, recorded her fifth consecutive victory over Katerina Siniakova and improved to 6-1 in their career meetings.
Pegula is aiming to win a grass-court title for the third consecutive year. After winning Berlin in 2024, she captured the Bad Homburg title last season.
She is also seeking her third title of the year after triumphs in Dubai and Charleston. Up next for her is a clash against either No 7 seed Karolina Muchova or former Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
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