WTA roundup: Jule Niemeier stuns Maria Sakkari in Bad Homburg

Germany’s Jule Niemeier, who entered the Bad Homburg Open as a lucky loser after replacing Elisabetta Cocciaretto just 30 minutes before her match, achieved her fourth career victory over a Top 10 player by overcoming top-seeded Maria Sakkari 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) on Monday. Niemeier initially struggled but improved as the match progressed, capitalizing on 61.1 percent of her second-serve return opportunities to stun Sakkari, ranked No. 9 in the world, who has now lost her last four matches.

Elsewhere at the tournament, second-seeded Liudmila Samsonova of Russia cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, while No. 4 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil defeated Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-1, 7-6 (6). Anna Blinkova of Russia also secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, and Diana Shnaider of Russia defeated Germany’s Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3.

In other matches, Katerina Siniakova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic emerged victorious. Meanwhile, the match between Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was halted due to darkness with Svitolina leading 3-6, 7-6 (4), 2-1; it will resume on Tuesday.

At the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the No. 5 seed, secured a 7-6 (3), 6-1 win over Belgium’s Greet Minnen in the first round. Harriet Dart of England won a marathon three-hour, 29-minute battle against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, prevailing 7-5, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

In other notable results, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez defeated No. 7 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, while Poland’s Magda Linette upset No. 8 Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine and Yuan Yue of China also emerged victorious on Monday.