Chinese tennis star Wang Xinyu has etched her name in sports history, advancing to her maiden WTA singles final at the Berlin Open after a stunning semifinal victory over Russia's World No. 20 Liudmila Samsonova. The 23-year-old's 6-4, 6-1 triumph on Saturday caps a remarkable grass-court campaign that saw her defeat four consecutive top-20 opponents.
Wang demonstrated exceptional composure after early exchanges of breaks in the first set, rallying from a mid-set deficit to claim the opener. Her aggressive baseline play and precise returns overwhelmed Samsonova in the second set, with the Russian committing 22 unforced errors to Wang's 9.
"This week has been a dream," said the World No. 49, who entered the tournament through qualifying rounds. "I wasn't expecting anything – just wanted to enjoy the stage."
Her path to the final included career-defining victories over French Open champion Coco Gauff (World No. 2) and World No. 16 Daria Kasatkina. Wang's performance marks China's strongest grass-court showing since Li Na's Wimbledon quarterfinal run in 2013.
Sunday's final pits Wang against Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, who defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. The match could propel Wang into the WTA Top 40 rankings for the first time.
