Jelena Ostapenko stunned top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka to capture the Stuttgart Open in a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Ostapenko, who had previously lost all three of their prior meetings, set the tone early with a break of serve in the first game and never looked back. 

Sabalenka struggled throughout the match, committing a series of unforced errors. 

She was broken in the opening game of the second set and dropped serve two more times as Ostapenko surged ahead, winning five games in a row to seal the triumph.

"I'm really happy today," Ostapenko said after the win, praising Sabalenka's strength as a champion, "It is great to share the court with you."

The 27-year-old Latvian also defeated world number two Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, marking her ninth career WTA title and her first on clay since winning the French Open in 2017.

Sabalenka, 26, was aiming for her first Stuttgart title, having reached the final in 2021, 2022, and 2023, but fell short each time. 

Reflecting on the loss, she graciously congratulated Ostapenko: "You were the better player today."

"It's not for me every year [here], but maybe next year," Sabalenka added.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1235 HRS, APR 22, 2025
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