Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading

TEN:Favoured Pegula toppled in Berlin grasscourt final

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.

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.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.