Aryna Sabalenka battled through a tense encounter to book her spot in a fourth final at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The world No. 1 now stands just one match away from capturing her elusive first title at the prestigious clay event — but clay-court powerhouse Jelena Ostapenko is the last hurdle in her path.
Top-seeded Sabalenka, runner-up here from 2021 to 2023, got off to a dominant start in her semifinal against fifth seed Jasmine Paolini, racing to a 3-0 lead. Although the spirited Italian fought back to level at 5-5, Sabalenka regained control to close out the first set by winning two straight games.
In a twist of momentum, Paolini surged ahead 3-0 in the second, but Sabalenka won six of the next seven games to wrap up the 7-5 6-4 victory and return to familiar territory — the Stuttgart final.
In the other semifinal, Ostapenko continued her inspired run with a composed 6-4 6-4 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Latvian, fresh off her stunning quarterfinal upset of five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, was aggressive and confident throughout. Despite dropping serve once early, Ostapenko dictated play with blistering groundstrokes — particularly off her fearsome forehand — leaving Alexandrova scrambling to stay in rallies.
Heading into Monday’s…
