Vekic Upsets Wimbledon Champion Rybakina in Berlin

Elena Rybakina suffered a setback in the build-up to her Wimbledon title defence when she was knocked out of the Berlin WTA event by Donna Vekic on Wednesday. Vekic, ranked 23 in the world, beat the second-seeded Kazakh 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4 to make it through to the quarter finals. An Australian Open finalist in January, the 24-year-old Rybakina was one of the favourites for the French Open but pulled out early due to illness.

"I'm really happy to not only beat her, but to be in the quarter-finals here," said Vekic who faced down 15 aces off the racquet of the Kazakh.

"I stayed in the moment. I was just trying to play the next point, the next game. She was serving unbelievable today. She's definitely, I think, the best server on the women's tour right now. She was serving really big, so I was like, 'Just stay with her; your chances will come,' and they did."

French third seed Caroline Garcia defeated Australian Jaimee Fourlis 6-3, 6-2 on her first appearance on the Berlin grass.

The 2022 US Open semi-finalist broke her opponent three times in the first meeting between the two players. She has now won 25 matches in 2023.

Elina Avanesyan defeated Anna Blinkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to make the quarter-finals in an all-Russian duel.

Czech Petra Kvitova also sealed her place in the final eight, defeating Argentinian Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-1 in a dominant performance.

The WTA tournament in Berlin, taking place just two weeks before the start of Wimbledon, features nine of the world's top 10-ranked women.

Original News: Agence France-Presse

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