Sabalenka's Wimbledon preparations take a knock as Pegula makes Berlin final

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is stunned by Jessica Pegula 6-0 in the deciding set of their Berlin Open semi-final showdown; watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app

>Top seed Aryna Sabalenka saw her Wimbledon preparations take a major hit as she was stunned by Jessica Pegula in the deciding set of the Berlin Open semi-finals.

>The American sealed her fourth win over Sabalenka in 13 WTA Tour meetings with a stunning 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-0 victory as she secured a spot in the final.

>The ​28-year-old, who exited the ‌French Open in the quarter-finals to Russian ​Diana Shnaider, struggled to find her rhythm after a slow start, and Pegula ​took the opening set ⁠following an early ⁠break.

> Since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975, Aryna Sabalenka is now the first world No 1 to concede 6-0 deciding sets at multiple and consecutive WTA-level events

>Pegula was leading 3-1 in the second-set tie-break before a rain delay lasting over two hours washed away her momentum and handed it to Sabalenka, who sent the contest into a deciding set shoot-out.

>Pegula, the 2024 Berlin champion, reasserted control by winning the final six games, sweeping Sabalenka in the decider.

>"That was high level," Pegula said in her on-court interview. "It's really tough coming out and losing the tie-break. I feel like she came out and ripped a bunch of winners and I just wanted to tell myself that I wanted to win it the hard way anyways. I guess I did."

>All four of Sabalenka's Grand Slam titles - her most recent at the 2025 US Open - have come on hard courts, and she ⁠is still chasing a first ​Wimbledon crown after three semi-final ​runs.

>She lost this year's ​Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina ⁠in three sets, a year after finishing runner-up to Madison ⁠Keys.

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>Pegula will face either Czech Linda ​Noskova or the Philippines' Alexandra Eala in Sunday's final.

>"I'm pretty laid back," Pegula said. "I'm a pretty composed person. I like to take things in and I'm very aware of what's going on. So I don't get super emotional, and I think that's how I try to play. I just try to play true to myself. A lot of people used to tell me when I was younger that I needed to yell more and be jumping up and down. And honestly, it just feels like a waste of energy to me. So I try to just be myself out there and that's all that matters."

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>Francisco Cerundolo came from behind to beat Brandon Nakashima 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 and become the first Argentinian finalist at Queen's since David Nalbandian's appearance in 2012, when he was defaulted after injuring a line judge by kicking an advertising board into his shin.

>Cerundolo's run to a first ATP 500 final has been inspired by a Diego Maradona Argentina shirt draped across a seat in the players' box.

>"It wasn't my idea. I think it was a friend that brought it and they put it there," he said. "Because I won my second match, it's gonna sit there until the end of the tournament.

>"I think it's good bringing an Argentinian flag. We are in the month of the World Cup, so it's always special for all of us."

>Cerundolo will play 2024 Queen's champion Tommy Paul in the final after the American eighth seed beat France's Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-3.

>American Paul is now on a nine-match winning streak at the HSBC Championships, having missed last year's tournament due to injury.

>In Halle, top seed Alexander Zverev was knocked ‌out of the Halle Open after a battling three-set defeat against American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals ​on Saturday.

>World No 3 Zverev, fresh off his maiden Grand ​Slam title at the French ‌Open, lost 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 in a match ​lasting two hours and 39 minutes.

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