Wang Xinyu reaches first WTA singles final of career at Berlin Open

China's Wang Xinyu continued her sensational form on grass, storming into her first-ever Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour singles final with a straight-sets victory over World No. 20 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in the Berlin Open semifinals on Saturday.

The 23-year-old battled through early nerves in the opening set, exchanging breaks with Samsonova before steadying herself under pressure. After surrendering a mid-set break, Wang responded immediately by breaking right back, before going on to take the first set 6-4.

Carrying that momentum into the second set, Wang maintained the upper hand with aggressive returns and consistent shots from the baseline. Samsonova, plagued by unforced errors, was unable to mount a comeback, and her Chinese opponent dominated the frame 6-1 to close out the convincing win.

"This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here," the World No. 49 said in an on-court interview. "Coming into every match here, I wasn't expecting anything. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage."

Wang's breakthrough performance has been one of the standout stories of the grass-court season. After navigating two rounds of qualifying, she ousted World No. 16 Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2 in the first round, before stunning recently-crowned French Open champion and World No. 2 Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in the last 16, for her first career victory against a top-two player.

In the quarterfinals, Wang took the first set 6-1, before World No. 10 Paula Badosa was forced to retire due to injury. The win over Samsonova marked her fourth consecutive victory against a top-20 opponent this week, underscoring her rise on the WTA Tour and establishing a new personal best on grass.

Wang will face Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in Sunday's final, after the 2023 Wimbledon champion defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal match.