The first round of the Berlin Open delivered its share of surprises and confirmations on the German grass. Among the standout results, Elina Svitolina advanced to the round of 16 after Anna Kalinskaya retired while trailing 1-6, 1-4. The Russian was visibly unable to compete physically, raising questions about her fitness with Wimbledon less than two weeks away.
Madison Keys produced the most convincing display of the opening day. The American dispatched Xinyu Wang 7-6(3), 6-1, unleashing her attacking game from the opening rallies. After a tight first set decided at the tiebreak, Keys accelerated in the second, conceding just one game. Her forehand power and serve quality make her a credible dark horse for the title.
The upset of the day came from Nikola Bartunkova. The 20-year-old Czech eliminated ninth seed Diana Shnaider in three sets 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3. Bartunkova dominated the opener before losing the second set at the tiebreak, then found the resolve to break at 3-2 in the decider. A victory that confirms the rapid rise of a player still ranked outside the top 50 only months ago.
Elise Mertens produced a remarkable turnaround against Liudmila Samsonova. Down 1-6 after a disastrous first set, the Belgian regrouped to win the second and third sets with renewed consistency, prevailing 1-6, 6-3, 6-0. A spectacular comeback that speaks to her mental resilience on grass.
The round of 16 promises fireworks with , top seed, , third favourite, and , fourth seed, all due to begin their campaigns. Berlin's grass, the final dress rehearsal before Wimbledon for several top-10 players, sets the stage for an intense week.
