China’s Wang Xinyu Surges into WTA Berlin Open Semifinals
Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu reached her first grass-court semifinal at the WTA Berlin Open on Friday after Spain’s World No. 10 Paula Badosa retired while trailing 6-1.
In a rematch of their Australian Open encounter earlier this year—where Wang lost in straight sets—the 23-year-old showcased a dominant performance. She broke Badosa three times to swiftly take the first set. Early in the second set, with Wang leading 40-0 in the opening game, Badosa signaled her retirement due to a right hip injury.
Wang’s journey to the semifinals has been remarkable. After navigating two rounds of qualifying, including an upset victory over two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur, she stunned World No. 16 Daria Kasatkina in the first round. Her biggest triumph came in the second round, where she defeated newly crowned French Open champion and World No. 2 Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3—marking her first career win against a Top 2 player.
“Playing in the qualifiers definitely helped,” Wang shared. “Getting more matches, especially transitioning from clay to grass, is crucial. Each win builds confidence and helps me adapt to the surface faster.”
Next up, Wang will face Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals as she continues her breakthrough grass-court campaign.
