(Berlin) German qualifier Jule Niemeier defeated defending champion Ons Jabeur 7-6(4), 6-4 in the first round of the Berlin Open on Tuesday.
Niemeier, who is ranked 120th in the world, saved two set points when she was down 3-5 in the first set. She then won the last four points of the tiebreaker to win the first set.
She followed up by breaking Jabeur’s serve in the second set and held on to win in 1 hour 35 minutes. It is the 23-year-old’s third career victory against a member of the world’s top 10.
American Coco Gauff defeated Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4.
Gauff, seeded fourth, will now face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat fellow Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 6-3.
Favorite Aryna Sabalenka passed the first round without difficulty, winning 6-3, 6-2 against Vera Zvonareva.
Sabalenka converted three of the nine break points she got and didn’t allow her 38-year-old rival any.
Elina Avanesyan saved two match points before surprising sixth seed Daria Kasatkina with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7) victory.
