Pegula saves five championship points to win Berlin Open

Jessica Pegula saved five championship points as she beat Anna Kalinskaya to win the Berlin Open and confirm her status as a Wimbledon title contender.

American Pegula missed the European clay-court swing with injury and made her return to playing last week in the Netherlands.

She first completed her rain-delayed semi-final on Sunday against doubles partner and second seed Coco Gauff, quickly wrapping up a 7-5 7-6 (7-2) win.

The world number five then had to find her way back against Russia's Kalinskaya, overturning a 4-1 third-set deficit to win 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

It is Pegula's fifth WTA Tour title and her first on grass.

She reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, losing in three sets to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova.

Pegula, 30, is scheduled to play at the Eastbourne International before Wimbledon begins on 1 July.

At the Birmingham Classic, Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva beat Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 7-6 (10-8) to win her first grass-court title.

It was her first title for three years, with her past two triumphs coming on clay-courts.

She fought back from a break down in the final set and converted on her third match point as Tomljanovic skewed a forehand wide.

“It’s my first on grass and I don’t even know how I’m feeling because I wasn’t expecting this to happen at all," the 29-year-old said.

“It’s amazing but also confusing because I usually play my best tennis on the clay, and now all of a sudden, I’m performing well on the grass - but I’ll take it!”

Tomljanovic was searching for her first WTA title, having lost her previous four finals.

It was her first final since an injury-hit 2023 which meant she dropped outside the top 100.