Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko, both Grand Slam champions, emerged victorious in their Thursday night matches in Stuttgart. Their wins finalize an exciting quarterfinal lineup at the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The Stuttgart quarterfinals will feature eight players all ranked within the Top 30, including five from the top six in the WTA rankings. Due to the Good Friday holiday, matches in Stuttgart are paused on Friday and will resume on Saturday.
Here’s a recap of Thursday evening`s matches at the Porsche-Arena:
Coco Gauff defeated Ella Seidel 6-1, 6-1
World No. 4 Gauff only needed 57 minutes to defeat lucky loser Ella Seidel, who was the last German player remaining in the singles tournament. This victory marks Gauff`s best performance in Stuttgart, reaching the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
Gauff demonstrated strong serving, winning 87% of her first-serve points and successfully defending all three break points against her. This win provides a boost to Gauff`s season, as it is her first quarterfinal appearance since the Australian Open in January.
“I started practicing on clay immediately after Miami,” Gauff mentioned after her match. “This year, I arrived slightly earlier to give myself more time to adapt to both the clay and the indoor conditions here. … Overall, I believe it was a beneficial decision.”
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, is now set to face No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match on Saturday. Gauff holds a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head record against Paolini, although they haven`t played in 20 months.
Describing Paolini, Gauff noted, “She’s an incredibly agile player with a very strong forehand. Although we haven`t competed against each other recently on tour, we often practice together, as she mentioned.”
She added, “Everyone is aware of Jasmine`s capabilities and her fighting spirit. She never gives up. I`ve never witnessed her give up on the court.”
Jelena Ostapenko defeated Emma Navarro 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Ostapenko has reached her first Stuttgart quarterfinal since 2018 by overcoming World No. 11 Navarro in a match lasting 2 hours and 18 minutes. This is only her second quarterfinal appearance this year, but she maintains a 3-1 record against Top 20 players in 2024.
In a fluctuating first set characterized by strong return games, Ostapenko initially failed to serve out the set at 5-4 but seized a second opportunity at 6-5. She then asserted her powerful game to secure a love hold and win the first set.
Navarro took control in the second set, hitting a powerful backhand crosscourt winner to break serve for a 4-2 lead and eventually level the match. Despite converting only 1 of 6 break points in that set, it proved sufficient as her serve remained unbroken.
However, Ostapenko regained momentum in the third set, effectively utilizing powerful groundstrokes when it mattered most. From a 2-2 tie in the deciding set, the 2017 Roland Garros champion claimed 16 of the subsequent 20 points to secure victory.
Ostapenko capitalized on her opportunities more effectively in this match. While she had only nine break points, she converted six of them. In contrast, Navarro converted only 4 of 18 break points.
The stage is now set for Ostapenko to face No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Notably, Ostapenko has a perfect record against Swiatek, winning all five of their previous encounters, including their match in Doha earlier this year.
More updates to follow…
