Heat Battle in Berlin: Pegula, Noskova, Sabalenka, and Eala Advance to the Semifinals

Sweltering heat and thrilling matches for a spot in the semifinals at the 2026 VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN at Berlin’s Steffi-Graf-Stadion. With intense sunshine and temperatures around 34 degrees in the shade, the fifth day of the tournament turned into a battle against the heat. Jessica Pegula (USA), Linda Noskova (CZE), Aryna Sabalenka, and Alexandra Eala (PHI) have secured their spots in the semifinals.

The day on Center Court at Steffi Graf Stadion began with an all-American matchup for a spot in the semifinals. On one side was Jessica Pegula, one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour, and on the other was Madison Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion. Pegula, ranked No. 4 in the world, had eliminated Czech player Katerina Siniakova in the round of 16. Keys, ranked No. 28 in the world, had defeated last year’s finalist Wang Xinyu in the first round and Karolina Muchova in the round of 16.

Pegula will next face either Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the final.

In the quarterfinal clash between two close friends, Madison Keys got off to the better start, breaking early and building a 4-1 lead in the opening set. But Jessica Pegula gradually found her rhythm, fought her way back into the match, and eventually claimed the set 7-6(5) in a tiebreak. Keys once again earned an early break in the second set, but Pegula responded well after falling behind 1-3. From there, she took control of the match, allowing her opponent just two more games before sealing a 7-5 second set and booking her place in the semifinals.

Nosková knocks out Badosa, who had eliminated Gauff earlier

Linda Noskova (CZE) continued her impressive run in Berlin with a dominant quarterfinal victory over Paula Badosa (ESP). The Czech world No. 13, whose aggressive baseline game has been well suited to the grass courts this week, broke serve in the opening game and quickly built a 4-0 lead.

Badosa, ranked No. 142 in the world and coming off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament after eliminating Coco Gauff in the round of 16, managed to win just one more game before conceding the opening set 6-1. It was a similar story in the second round: Noskova dictated the play, while Badosa couldn’t find a way to respond, and dropped the second set 6-3. After 69 minutes, Noskova won 6-1, 6-3. In Saturday’s semifinal, the young Czech will face Alex Eala.

Sabalenka Advances to the Semifinals After an Epic 2:23-Hour Match

The highly anticipated second match in Berlin between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and wild-card entrant Nikola Bartunkova turned into an epic battle in the sweltering heat. The match lasted 2:23 hours and ultimately ended in victory for the world No. 1. At first, however, things looked very different. Bartunkova broke the top favorite’s second and third service games in the first set and quickly took a 5-1 lead. Sabalenka managed to win only one more game, and so the young Czech player took the first set 6-2.

The second set started similarly, as the world No. 62 Bartunkova, secured two breaks and pulled ahead 4–0. Bartunkova and the Berlin fans were already sensing an upset. But Sabalenka didn’t give up; she closed the gap point by point and turned the set around to 6–5 before it went to a tiebreak at 6–6. Sabalenka won the tiebreak 7–2 to force a third set.

It wasn't until the third set that Sabalenka forced a decision

The third set was initially a bit more evenly matched: Sabalenka took a 2-0 lead, but Bartunkova fought back to tie it at 2-2. The match then went back and forth, but Sabalenka seemed slightly more consistent. Bartunkova lost her serve three times in total, while Sabalenka lost hers twice. Sabalenka converted her third match point to win 6–4 and will face Jessica Pegula in Saturday’s semifinal.

Sabalenka praised her strong opponent: “I have to say, I was a little lucky to come back. Nikola was extremely strong, and she undoubtedly has a great future ahead of her. I’d love to visit the Czech tennis facilities and understand how their system produces so many great players.”

Wildcard Alexandra Eala shines again with victory over Elina Svitolina in Berlin

With her stunning victory over Elina Svitolina, Alexandra Eala was one of the major winners of the ongoing tournament. She beat the 31-year-old former world No. 3 player 6-3, 6-4.

Elina Svitolina, who had been performing well in the earlier rounds, had already proven her form with wins over Eva Lys and Anna Kalinskaya. However, she was unable to hold off Alexandra Eala in the key moments of the match.

It was yet another impressive performance from Alexandra Eala who is having one of her best seasons so far. As a wildcard entrant, she quickly became one of the crowd favorites in Berlin after defeating Queen’s champion Donna Vekić and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the earlier rounds to reach the quarterfinals.

In the post-match interview, Alexandra Eala said  “Elina started playing a bit better in the last few games of the match. It was tough, but I am glad that I managed it.”

Regarding her upcoming semifinal clash against Linda Nosková tomorrow, she added: “Nosková is a great player, she is very powerful and experienced… But as we reach the semifinals in Berlin, challenges are expected.”

Eikeri & Gleason Defeat Second Seed Teams to Progress to Semifinals

Norwegian player Ulrikke Eikeri along with American player Quinn Gleason defeated Elise Mertens (BEL) and Shuai Zhang (CHN), second seed teams, in straight sets with the scores 7-6(4), 7-5 today at the Berlin Tennis Open.

Eikeri and Gleason played aggressive doubles throughout the match and claimed a tightly contested opening set in a tiebreak, using their excellent net play to gain the upper hand. They maintained their momentum in the second set, earning the decisive break before closing out the match.

Eikeri and Gleason have been one of the surprise teams of the tournament so far, showing great composure against one of the strongest pairings in the draw. Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang are experienced and highly talented doubles specialists with a lot of achievements in doubles tennis. As a result of the victory, Eikeri and Gleason reach the semifinals where they will play their next match against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Linda Noskova.

Errani and Melichar-Martinez Ease Into the Semifinals

The third seeds Sara Errani (ITA) and Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) had no trouble getting past Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe, winning by 6-2, 6-1 and making it easily to the semifinals of the Berlin Tennis Open. Having won the first set 6-2, Errani and Melichar-Martinez raised their level even further in the second, keeping their opponents under constant pressure.

Errani and Melichar-Martinez proved once again why they are among the favorite teams of the tournament. Olmos and Routliffe are a well-known and strong doubles team. Routliffe is twice US Open doubles winner, and she has been ranked number one in doubles. As a doubles pair, they achieved great results on the WTA Tour.