Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko, both Grand Slam champions, emerged victorious in their Thursday night matches in Stuttgart. They completed a compelling quarterfinal lineup at the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play
All eight quarterfinalists are within the Top 30 rankings, with five of them in the top six. Due to Good Friday, there will be no matches on Friday, but play will resume on Saturday.
Here`s a recap of Thursday evening`s action at the Porsche-Arena:
[4] Coco Gauff defeated [LL] Ella Seidel 6-1, 6-1
World No. 4 Coco Gauff only needed 57 minutes to defeat lucky loser Ella Seidel, who was the last German player in the singles tournament. This win puts Gauff back in the Stuttgart quarterfinals, matching her best result from last year.
Gauff played dominantly, winning 87 percent of her first-serve points and successfully defending all three break points against her. This victory is a significant boost for Gauff, marking her first quarterfinal appearance since the Australian Open in January.
“I got onto clay immediately after Miami,” Gauff mentioned after her match. “I decided to arrive a bit earlier this year to have more time to adjust to the clay and indoor conditions here. … Overall, I think it was a smart choice.”
The 2023 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 previous encounters with Paolini, though they haven`t played in 20 months.
About Paolini, Gauff commented, “She moves incredibly well and has a very strong forehand. Although we haven`t competed recently, we do practice together.”
She added, “Everyone is aware of Jasmine`s capabilities and her fighting spirit. She never gives up on the court, which I`ve always noticed.”
Jelena Ostapenko defeated [7] Emma Navarro 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko reached her first Stuttgart quarterfinal since 2018 by overcoming World No. 11 Emma Navarro in a match lasting 2 hours and 18 minutes. This is only her second quarterfinal this year, and she now has a 3-1 record against Top 20 players in 2024.
The first set was unpredictable, with powerful returns being key. Ostapenko initially failed to serve out the set at 5-4, but capitalized on a second opportunity at 6-5. Her powerful game then took over, securing her the first set.
Navarro responded in the second set, breaking serve with a strong backhand to go up 4-2 and ultimately level the match. Despite having six break point opportunities in the set, Navarro only needed one as she held her serve throughout.
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 won 16 of the next 20 points to win the match.
Ostapenko was more effective at converting her chances in this match. She converted six of her nine break points, while Navarro only managed to convert 4 out of 18.
The quarterfinal is set: Ostapenko will now play against No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Notably, Ostapenko has a perfect 5-0 record against Swiatek, including a win in Doha earlier this year.
More updates to follow…
