Qualifier Liudmila Samsonova completed a remarkable week by beating Belinda Bencic 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 to win the German Open on Sunday.
Samsonova rallied after losing the opening set and hit 14 aces to on her way to her first ATP Tour title at the grass-court Wimbledon warm-up tournament.
The 106th-ranked Russian came through two rounds of qualifying and pulled off major upsets on her way as she ousted two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in the semifinal after eliminating two former Grand Slam finalists, Madison Keys and Marketa Vondrousova, in earlier rounds.
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in action during her ladies singles final tennis match against Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova at the German Open at the Steffi Graf Stadium in Berlin, Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Wolfgang Kummdpa via AP)
Samsonova saved five of the seven break points she faced and converted half of her eight opportunities against Bencic, who was playing for her first title since 2019.
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Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova celebrates winning her ladies singles final tennis match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic at the German Open at the Steffi Graf Stadium in Berlin, Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Wolfgang Kummdpa via AP)
Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova celebrates winning her ladies singles final tennis match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic at the German Open at the Steffi Graf Stadium in Berlin, Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Wolfgang Kummdpa via AP)