Jelena Ostapenko`s dominance over Iga Swiatek continues, regardless of the tournament, location, or surface.
In their first clay-court encounter at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, defeated Swiatek 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. This victory extends her undefeated record against the Polish player to 6-0 and marks her first semifinal appearance at the WTA 500 Stuttgart event.
Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play
Ostapenko has now conquered Swiatek on all court types, with previous wins on hard and grass courts. Two months prior, she defeated Swiatek 6-3, 6-1 in Doha. While this match was more challenging and lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes, the outcome remained the same.
Ostapenko started strong, winning the first four games and breaking Swiatek`s serve three times to take the first set. Swiatek responded in the second set, claiming the last three games. However, Ostapenko dominated the final set, winning 12 of the first 15 points to secure a lead she maintained until the end.
`I think I was playing at a high level today,` Ostapenko admitted after the match. `I believe I could have won in two sets if I hadn`t rushed in the second set. Overall, I performed well.`
`She is undoubtedly a fantastic player, and facing her is always a tough battle. I anticipate a challenging match every time we play. However, I felt confident in crucial moments that I would have opportunities to win.`
Ostapenko`s victory guarantees an unseeded player in the Stuttgart final, as she is set to face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinals. Alexandrova, ranked No. 22, defeated No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-4 in the first quarterfinal match on Saturday.
