Top seed Jessica Pegula eases past Iga Swiatek to win Bad Homburg title

BAD HOMBURG – Iga Swiatek joked “there is hope for me on grass” despite top seed Jessica Pegula containing her heavy topspin game on the surface to earn a 6-4, 7-5 victory on June 28 and lift the Bad Homburg Open title.

The American held serve throughout and gave up just one break point in the match, denying the Pole her first career title on grass, just two days before the start of Wimbledon.

Swiatek has not won a singles title since her 2024 French Open victory.

“I know you say you can’t play on grass but you are very, very good on grass,” Pegula said, addressing Swiatek after the match. “It was a special week.”

Pegula won a break at 3-3 in the first set to move 5-3 up.

The 31-year-old world No. 3, chasing her third title of 2025 and her first since April, landed the first set soon afterwards, when the Pole sent a forehand long.

Swiatek put up a fight in the second set, edging close to a break but failing to get a break point.

It was Pegula who earned a break point at 5-5 and she converted it with a sizzling cross-court forehand.

Pegula held serve to seal her second career title on grass, following her 2024 win in Berlin.

For Swiatek, who shed tears while waiting for the trophy ceremony, it was still a successful week after reaching her first career final on the surface.

“You have an amazing game and you showed it throughout the tournament,” she told Pegula. “Hopefully, we will have many more finals together.”

“I feel it is going a good way and thank you for the opportunity to play here. This tournament shows there is hope for me on grass,” the five-time Grand Slam winner said.

Elsewhere, Australia’s Maya Joint saved four match points before beating Alexandra Eala 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) to win the Eastbourne title in a gripping final on June 28.

Four times Eala, the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final, was a point away from victory in the final-set tiebreak but Joint dug deep to prevail.

The 19-year-old Joint showed tremendous resilience to stay alive and made no mistake when she earned her second match point at 11-10, drilling a backhand cross-court winner.

While it was joy for Joint, who claimed her second WTA title in five events, having also won her maiden crown in Rabat on clay, the pain was too much for 20-year-old Eala, who went off court in tears to compose herself before the ceremony.

“We will definitely play in more finals,” Joint, 19, said after the youngest Eastbourne final by combined age since 1981.

“I’m glad I was able to find a way back. Alex played really well today. She definitely tested me and after the first set she got very aggressive.”

Eala added: “This is my first WTA final, it’s a big deal for me and for my country too because it’s historic. I guess that’s also why I’m so emotional.”

Meanwhile, in men’s action, Taylor Fritz said he is heading to Wimbledon in a confident mood after storming to a record-extending fourth title at the Eastbourne Open on June 28.

The world No. 5 proved too good for fellow American Jenson Brooksby, who had progressed to the final as a lucky loser after defeat in qualifying, with a 7-5, 6-1 victory at Devonshire Park.

Fritz also won on the grass in Stuttgart earlier in June and now has five ATP titles on the surface, which is only bettered by Novak Djokovic among active players.

He said: “I’d much rather be going into the tournament with a title and confidence than a week of rest and just practice.”

Fritz has made the event on England’s south coast his own in recent years, also lifting the trophy in 2019, 2022 and 2024.

After needing three third-set victories to reach the final, Fritz had to come from a break down in the first set before imposing his dominance over the world No. 149 in the second.

“I got better and better with each match and felt like I really upped my level in this match,” added Fritz. REUTERS, AFP