BERLIN — Aryna Sabalenka continued her imperious form on the Berlin grass on Sunday, powering through her semi-final opponent to book a place in the Berlin WTA 500 final, reinforcing her status as the overwhelming favourite heading into Wimbledon later this month.

The Belarusian world number one, who had already shown her resilience by coming back from the brink of defeat against Nikola Bartunko on Saturday, was in far more commanding form in Sunday's semi-final, deploying her heavy serve and aggressive baseline game to close out victory in straight sets. Her ability to raise her level on grass — a surface she has worked hard to master — signals that she arrives at the All England Club in the form of her life.

Sabalenka's path to the final was made all the more impressive given the physical and mental demands of her Saturday comeback. Her coaching team had expressed confidence overnight that her recovery was strong, and she showed no signs of fatigue, converting the majority of her break-point opportunities and conceding very few on her own serve.

The Berlin final represents a significant opportunity for Sabalenka to claim a title that would further entrench her lead at the top of the WTA rankings and provide an important confidence boost before the third Grand Slam of the year. Her opponent in the final, drawn from the remaining semi-final, will need to produce something extraordinary to derail the Belarusian freight train on the Berlin grass.

With Wimbledon beginning in early July, Sunday's final is widely regarded by players and coaches alike as the last major dress rehearsal on grass. A title in Berlin would mark Sabalenka as the clear favourite to capture her first Wimbledon crown, a trophy that has so far eluded her despite deep runs in previous editions of the tournament.