Jelena Ostapenko continues to demonstrate her strong play against Iga Swiatek, regardless of the tournament, location, or Swiatek`s preferred surface.
In their first clay-court match on Saturday at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, extended her undefeated record against Swiatek to 6-0. She won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, reaching the semifinals of the WTA 500 event for the first time.
Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play
Ostapenko has now defeated Swiatek on all court types, including four hard-court and one grass-court victories. Swiatek entered the match with an 11-1 record in Stuttgart. Two months prior, Ostapenko defeated Swiatek 6-3, 6-1 in Doha. While Saturday`s match was more challenging, the outcome was the same after 2 hours and 7 minutes.
Ostapenko quickly took a 4-0 lead in the first set, breaking Swiatek`s serve three times to win it. Swiatek responded in the second set, winning the final three games. However, Ostapenko dominated the start of the deciding set, winning 12 of the first 15 points and maintaining the lead to secure the victory.
`I think I was playing at a high level today, maybe 8 or 9,` Ostapenko said after the match. `I could have possibly won in two sets, as I rushed a bit in the second set, but overall, I believe I played well.`
`She is undoubtedly a fantastic player. Playing against her is always a tough fight, and I expect it every time. But I felt confident in crucial moments that I would have opportunities to win this match.`
Ostapenko`s victory guarantees an unseeded finalist in Stuttgart. She will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinals. Alexandrova, ranked No. 22, defeated No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-4 in the first quarterfinal on Saturday.
Rupert Caldwell