"Every ball I would give her she would smack it with a winner”: Aryna Sabalenka survives 6-2, 4-0 scare to reach Berlin semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka reached the Berlin Ladies Open semifinals after a major escape against Nikola Bartunkova, recovering from a 6-2, 4-0 deficit to win in three sets and extend her run at the event. The world No. 1 was pushed to the limit before eventually closing out a 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory on Friday.

The match developed into one of Sabalenka’s most difficult tests of the season, with Bartunkova dictating large portions of the opening set and early stages of the second. The Czech teenager moved within two games of a double-break lead in the second set before the match shifted momentum.

Sabalenka admitted she struggled to find solutions during the early stages, describing a lack of clarity in how to respond to the level of aggression from her opponent. She later credited small tactical adjustments, particularly net approaches, for stabilising her position.

The win sets up a semifinal meeting with Jessica Pegula, who advanced after a straight-set victory over Madison Keys in two tiebreak sets, confirming a high-level last-four lineup in Berlin.

Sabalenka described Bartunkova’s performance as one of the most intense attacking displays she has faced in recent weeks, particularly during the opening phases of the match. The world No. 1 struggled to impose her usual baseline rhythm as the Czech consistently dictated with early ball striking.

“I just think she played incredible tennis. There was not much I could do, she was just smacking the ball like I don’t even know. It was an unbelievable level,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview after the match.

The pressure was visible in the scoreline, with Sabalenka trailing 6-2, 4-0 before managing to reset her positioning in rallies. Bartunkova also held a break point for a potential 6-0, 5-2 lead, underlining the scale of the deficit Sabalenka was facing during the second set.

Sabalenka acknowledged that the match was largely shaped by her inability to initially find structural answers, adding that she was forced into reactive patterns as Bartunkova dictated tempo across both wings. “I felt like it was her match and I didn’t know what to do. I think when I did a couple of approaches to the net during my 0-4 game, it gave me a little bit of confidence that maybe I can show her that I still have something left. I was trying to stay in the game.”

The shift began to emerge as Sabalenka increased first-strike aggression, particularly on the forehand wing, which started to push Bartunkova deeper behind the baseline and reduce her ability to step inside the court.

As the match progressed, Sabalenka gradually stabilised her service games and began to extend rallies on more neutral terms. A key break in the eighth game of the second set, followed by a five-game run, helped her regain control before eventually forcing a tiebreak. “I tried to find the rhythm,” the 4-time Grand Slam champion said. “I honestly just think I was lucky, it was a lucky match.”

The deciding set saw Sabalenka carry momentum from the second-set turnaround, with improved first-serve efficiency and heavier forehands forcing Bartunkova into more defensive positions. “Every ball I would give her she would smack it with a winner. I was really not sure what to do, but I guess I just tried to find this tiger inside of me and fight for this match.”

Beyond the result, Sabalenka also offered praise for Bartunkova’s performance level, identifying the Czech as a future presence on the tour based on the quality of her ball striking and ability to sustain pressure across extended phases.

“Oh my god, what a player, what an incredible young girl and future superstar,” she said. “I was thinking: ‘Woah, that’s how it feels to play against me!’”

Sabalenka now moves into a semifinal against Jessica Pegula, setting up a top-seeded clash with both players having required high-intensity wins to reach the final four in Berlin.