Siniakova warms up for Wimbledon with Bad Homburg triumph

Katerina Siniakova won the Bad Homburg Open on Saturday, defeating Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in the final of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament.

Siniakova claimed her fourth WTA singles title and first on grass but was made to sit through a four-hour rain delay after winning the first set.

The Czech 27-year-old, ranked 52 in singles and the world No 1 in doubles, broke Bronzetti twice in the opening set before play was interrupted.

Siniakova, the 2021 runner-up at the tournament just north of Frankfurt, led 5-2 in the second set but Bronzetti battled back to force a tie-break.

The Czech raced out in front though and converted her fourth match point to lift the trophy.

She came into Bad Homburg short on form after a poor year in which she missed much of the clay season with a wrist injury. Her last tour-level win had been at Indian Wells in March.

Clay court specialist Bronzetti, ranked 65th, made the final after world No 1 Iga Swiatek pulled out of their semifinal clash due to illness.

Swiatek, who withdrew from her first grass court semifinal, confirmed on Saturday she was "pretty sure it's going to be fine" for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday.