AAP Tennis

Favoured Pegula toppled in Berlin grasscourt final

Jun 22, 2026

Linda Noskova has surprised Jessica Pegula to win the Berlin Tennis Open grass event 6-4 4-6 6-3 following a severe thunderstorm and a big delay.

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Lightning, high winds and torrential rain led to the Berlin venue being evacuated before Sunday's final, which eventually started five hours late.

Organisers said they were prepared for the forecast weather and took precautionary measures but that "the intensity and speed of the storm made additional actions necessary at very short notice."

The deluged ground took time to drain and infrastructure needed fixing after high winds at the Steffi Graf Stadium.

But Czech eighth seed Noskova initially coped with the chaos better and raced to a 3-0 lead before wrapping up the first set.

American third seed Pegula, who had beaten world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's semi-finals, hit back in the second set but then slipped 2-0 behind in the decider.

Noskova did not look back as she sealed her second WTA title.

"It is very incredible and unforgettable for me," she said. "You never forget the first one but you always never forget the second one as well."

The Berlin grass event was a warm-up for Wimbledon which starts a week on Monday.