Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko has surged into the Stuttgart royal race last with a 6-4 6-4 triumph over fellow qualifier person Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The 27-year-old may join world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who was made to work hard for a 7-5 6-4 win over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini to accomplish her third final in five years.
Ostapenko, who disturbed five-times grand slam champion Iga Swiatek in the last eight to strengthen her history to 6-0 against the Pole, got off to a solid start with a crack in the first match.
She was broken straight back but earned another one quickly to go 4-2 up.
Alexandrova, who beat Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula at the tournament to take her tally to five top-10 wins during the season, struggled with her opponent’s thundering groundstrokes.
” I feel amazing playing here,” Ostapenko said. ” So pumped up. Those kinds of matches, winning three sets, gives you confidence,” she said.
” I was putting a lot of balls in. I am very happy with myself. “
Sabalenka, a three-time losing finalist in Stuttgart between 2021-23, looked to be powering through the first set after taking a 3-0 lead, but Paolini fought back to cut the deficit before losing it 7-5.
The tables were turned in the second with the diminutive Italian punishing a sloppy Sabalenka, who was rushing to finish the points with her trademark power but seeing errors pile up, and earning a 3-0 lead.
However, she was unable to maintain the standard.
” I was just trying to stay aggressive, to put as much pressure on her,” Sabalenka said.
