Can she finally win the Porsche? Aryna Sabalenka sets up Stuttgart Open Final showdown with Jelena Ostapenko
WTA
Aryna Sabalenka has only played two games this week and they've all been this weekend but she is into a fourth Stuttgart Open Final, a title that has eluded her over the years. But she has perhaps her best chance to win the Porsche finally.
Sabalenka has often ran into Iga Swiatek in the final who lost out to her next opponent Jelena Ostapenko. For the World No.1, she saw off Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4.
Paolini joked that she didn't want to be killed by Sabalenka and given their previous meetings, she was right in her assessment. But this was perhaps her best display as she pushed Sabalenka especially in the first set which the Belarusian had to take narrowly.
Sabalenka burst into a 3-0 lead but was broken back by Paolini straight away who again hit straight back when Sabalenka made it 5-2. But this time she went on a run. She won three games on the spin to send Sabalenka scrambling.
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But a break at 6-5 saw Paolini run out of ideas in order to seal the first set. The second was a bit more comfortable but Paolini did go 3-0 up so she will no doubt be frustrated that she couldn't get a chance to go towards the set. In fact she only won one more game as Sabalenka went from 3-0 down and 4-3 down to winning the set 6-4.
Next is Jelena Ostapenko who said she believes she can beat everyone in her on court interview and there is a good reason why given her form this week. She saw off Iga Swiatek and backed it up against Ekaterina Alexandrova in a superb 6-4, 6-4 win.
The final is Ostapenko's first on clay since she won the French Open back in 2022. She had previously seen off Iga Swiatek in the last round and now has a good chance in facing Sabalenka. Two of the most entertaining players on tour both for their interviews and on court personas and a great final is upon us.
Match Statistics Sabalenka vs. Paolini
| Sabalenka | VS | Paolini |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 2 | Aces | 1 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 56% (34/61) | 1st Service Percentage | 76% (50/66) |
| 71% (24/34) | 1st Service Points Won | 56% (28/50) |
| 30% (8/27) | 2nd Service Points Won | 31% (5/16) |
| 50% (4/8) | Break Points Saved | 25% (2/8) |
| 60% (6/10) | Service Games | 45% (5/11) |
| Return | ||
| 44% (22/50) | 1st Return Points Won | 29% (10/34) |
| 69% (11/16) | 2nd Return Points Won | 70% (19/27) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 1h 31m | Match Duration | 1h 31m |
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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