Belinda Bencic meets Liudmila Samsonova in the final

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic has her sights firmly set on her fifth WTA singles win at the bett1open in Berlin (12-20 June): the 2019 US Open semi-finalist, seeded fifth, defeated Alizé Cornet 7-5, 6-4 after 1:47 hours in the semi-finals amid temperatures that were once again well above 30 degrees. "I lost my rhythm a bit in the second set, but I'm happy that I won in the end," the 24-year-old said after her semi-final win. "I hope I can make my fifth title perfect here in Berlin."

Bencic, who had her best year so far in 2019 with two tournament wins in Dubai and Moscow, is now in a final at a WTA tournament in Germany for the first time in her career. There, she will face the big surprise of the bett1open, Russian Liudmila Samsonova, on Sunday at 3.30pm in the Steffi Graf Stadium. The 22-year-old world number 106 seems to feel right at home on grass in Berlin, making it into the main draw as a qualifier and reaching the final of a WTA tournament for the first time after her commanding 6-4, 6-2 semi-final win over former world number one and 2012 and 2013 Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka (Belarus).

"It's unbelievable. I can't believe what I managed to do. I always dreamed of playing a tournament like this. I am speechless," said a happy Samsonova after her big coup. "I have never played against Belinda before. It will be tough. But I will try my best again."

The final day of the bett1open at the LTTC "Rot-Weiß" e.V. will start at 12:00 on Sunday with the doubles final between Nicole Melichar (USA)/Demi Schuurs (Netherlands) and Victoria Azarenka/Aryna Sabalenka (both Belarus).