GERMAN lucky loser Jule Niemeier has won in front of her home fans, grinding out a two-and-a-half-hour marathon victory over top 10 talent Maria Sakkari in Bad Homburg. The world number 96 ripped open the WTA 500 draw with a win over the top seed, defeating Sakkari in a come-from-behind win, 2-6 6-2 7-6 in two hours and 35 minutes.

Niemeier won 65 and 52 per cent of her first and second serve points respectively, producing a 54 per cent clip. Though facing more break points for the match (nine to eight), she was only broken twice from her last six chances across the final two sets.

Bouncing back from a disappointing first set where she lost 6-2 to the favourite, Niemeier completely turned the match on its head and used the momentum to blow away an inconsistent Sakkari on the Bad Homburg grass.

The pair went toe-for-toe in the final set leading to a tiebreaker, though the German did have earlier chances. Her forehand power and serve-and-volley gamestyle was upsetting Sakkari allowing her to go a break ahead at 5-3 in the deciding set. Unfortunately for the lucky loser, she could not close it out so easily.

Up 6-5 she had a match point that Sakkari was able to swat away, however it would be the Greek star’s inconsistency that reared its head again in the tiebreaker. With Niemeier up 5-4, Sakkari served two consecutive double faults to hand the match to the German.

While many of Sakkari’s biggest rivals have taken the week off to prepare for Wimbledon, the world number nine headed to the tournament to find some form, but ultimately suffered her fourth straight loss. Niemeier advanced through to play former top 5 player and wildcard, Paula Badosa in the second round.

In other Round of 32 results, Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia accounted for another lucky loser German in Tamara Korpatsch 6-1 7-6, while the other home court hope Angelique Kerber fell to rising Russian prospect Diana Shnaider 7-5 6-3. Czech duo Linda Noskova and Katerina Siniakova and Russian pair Anna Blinkova and Liudmila Samsonova were the other victors.

AROUND THE COURTS

WTA 500 | Rothesay International

Canadian Leylah Fernandez kicked off her Eastbourne tournament with a three-set win over Czech Barbora Krejcikova, 6-2 3-6 6-2. It was a bad day for the Czech’s with Marie Bouzkova also falling, at the hands of local hope and wildcard Harriet Dart in a ridiculous marathon of three hours and 29 minutes.

Qualifiers Anhelina Kalinina and Magda Linette both upset higher ranked opponents in Sorana Cirstea and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova respectively, while the dangerous Jelena Ostapenko turned the tables on a qualifier in her match, defeating Belgian Greet Minnen in straight sets.