The Japan Times - Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery

Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini.

"Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game."

"I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added.

There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down.

Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side.

"When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley.

Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month.

A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart.

However, the Belarusian won't have to contend with Swiatek -- who beat her in the last two of those finals -- after the second-ranked Pole suffered another defeat by the unpredictable Ostapenko.

- Six in a row -

Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions.

Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay.

Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set.

The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory.

"I think I was playing to maybe eight or nine (out of 10) today," said Ostapenko "I mean, I could probably win in two sets because second set I started to rush a little bit, but in general, I think I was playing well.

"Of course she's a great player, obviously. To play against her is a tough battle. Every time I'm expecting a tough battle. But I think in deciding moments I kind of knew that I will have the chances to win this match."

Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday.

Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4.

Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16.

After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on.

Alexandrova's five WTA top-10 wins are the equal most in 2025 with Andreeva and Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

S.Ogawa--JT