Bencic sees off Sakkari to reach Berlin final

BERLIN: Olympic champion Belinda Bencic is into the final of Berlin’s WTA grass-court tournament after fighting back to see off second seed Maria Sakkari following a three-hour tussle in sweltering conditions.

Bencic rallied from losing the hard-fought first set, which lasted 76 minutes, to secure a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 win in temperatures of around 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit).

Gauff defeats former number one Pliskova to reach Berlin semi-finals

Bencic, who won the singles Olympic title in Tokyo last year, will face either top seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia or American teenager Coco Gauff in Sunday’s final.