Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko, both Grand Slam champions, emerged victorious in the Thursday night session in Stuttgart. Their wins finalized 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 6 in the WTA rankings. Due to Good Friday, there will be no matches on Friday, with play resuming 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 Coco Gauff dominated lucky loser Ella Seidel in just 57 minutes. Seidel was the last German player remaining in the singles tournament. This victory marks Gauff`s best result in Stuttgart, equaling her quarterfinal appearance from last year.
Gauff demonstrated strong serving, winning 87% of her first-serve points and successfully defending all three break points against her. This win boosts Gauff`s season, as it`s her first quarterfinal appearance since the Australian Open in January.
`I transitioned to clay immediately after Miami,` Gauff mentioned after her match. `I decided to arrive slightly earlier this year to give myself more time to adapt to the clay and the indoor conditions here. … Overall, I believe it was a beneficial decision.`
US Open champion Gauff 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 each other in 20 months.
Speaking about Paolini, Gauff noted, `She’s an exceptional mover and possesses a very strong forehand. While we haven`t competed recently on tour, we do practice together.`
Gauff added, `Everyone is aware of Jasmine’s fighting spirit. She never gives up on the court.`
Jelena Ostapenko defeated Emma Navarro 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko reached her first Stuttgart quarterfinal since 2018 by defeating World No. 11 Emma Navarro in a match lasting 2 hours and 18 minutes. This is only her second quarterfinal of the year, and she now has a 3-1 record against Top 20 players in 2024.
In a tight first set characterized by strong return games, Ostapenko initially failed to serve out the set at 5-4 but capitalized on a second opportunity at 6-5. She then asserted her powerful game, securing a love hold to take the first set.
Navarro responded in the second set, breaking serve with a powerful backhand crosscourt winner to lead 4-2 and ultimately level the match. Despite converting only 1 of 6 break points in the set, it proved sufficient as she remained unbroken.
However, Ostapenko regained control in the third set, unleashing powerful groundstrokes when it mattered most. From 2-2 in the final set, the 2017 Roland Garros champion claimed 16 of the subsequent 20 points to win the match.
Ostapenko was more effective in seizing her opportunities during the match. She converted six of her nine break points, while Navarro only converted 4 of 18.
The quarterfinal is set for Ostapenko to compete against No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Notably, Ostapenko has a perfect 5-0 record against Swiatek in their previous encounters, including a win in Doha earlier this year.
More updates to follow…
