Top seed Aryna Sabalenka saw her Wimbledon preparations take a major hit as she was stunned by Jessica Pegula in the deciding set of the Berlin Open semi-finals.
The American sealed her fourth win over Sabalenka in 13 WTA Tour meetings with a stunning 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-0 victory as she secured a spot in the final.
The 28-year-old, who exited the French Open in the quarter-finals to Russian Diana Shnaider, struggled to find her rhythm after a slow start, and Pegula took the opening set following an early break.
Pegula was leading 3-1 in the second-set tie-break before a rain delay lasting over two hours washed away her momentum and handed it to Sabalenka, who sent the contest into a deciding set shoot-out.
Pegula, the 2024 Berlin champion, reasserted control by winning the final six games, sweeping Sabalenka in the decider.
"That was high level," Pegula said in her on-court interview. "It's really tough coming out and losing the tie-break. I feel like she came out and ripped a bunch of winners and I just wanted to tell myself that I wanted to win it the hard way anyways. I guess I did."
All four of Sabalenka's Grand Slam titles - her most recent at the 2025 US Open - have come on hard courts, and she is still chasing a first Wimbledon crown after three semi-final runs.
She lost this year's Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina in three sets, a year after finishing runner-up to Madison Keys.
Pegula will face Czech Linda Noskova in Sunday's final.
"I'm pretty laid back," Pegula said. "I'm a pretty composed person. I like to take things in and I'm very aware of what's going on. So I don't get super emotional, and I think that's how I try to play. I just try to play true to myself. A lot of people used to tell me when I was younger that I needed to yell more and be jumping up and down. And honestly, it just feels like a waste of energy to me. So I try to just be myself out there and that's all that matters."
Francisco Cerundolo came from behind to beat Brandon Nakashima 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 and become the first Argentinian finalist at Queen's since David Nalbandian's appearance in 2012, when he was defaulted after injuring a line judge by kicking an advertising board into his shin.
Cerundolo's run to a first ATP 500 final has been inspired by a Diego Maradona Argentina shirt draped across a seat in the players' box.
"It wasn't my idea. I think it was a friend that brought it and they put it there," he said. "Because I won my second match, it's gonna sit there until the end of the tournament.
"I think it's good bringing an Argentinian flag. We are in the month of the World Cup, so it's always special for all of us."
Cerundolo will play 2024 Queen's champion Tommy Paul in the final after the American eighth seed beat France's Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-3.
American Paul is now on a nine-match winning streak at the HSBC Championships, having missed last year's tournament due to injury.
In Halle, top seed Alexander Zverev was knocked out of the Halle Open after a battling three-set defeat against American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals on Saturday.
World No 3 Zverev, fresh off his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, lost 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 in a match lasting two hours and 39 minutes.
Frances Tiafoe cruised past Daniel Altmaier 6-1 6-3 to set up an all-American final.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Your Site or and the , giving Your Site customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.
