Alexandrova stuns Andreeva to reach Stuttgart quarterfinals
STUTTGART: Ekaterina Alexandrova delivered a commanding performance on Thursday to upset fellow Russian and No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2 in just 65 minutes, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
The 30-year-old Alexandrova notched her fourth Top 10 victory of the season with a clinical display, firing 19 winners and eight aces. In contrast, the 17-year-old Andreeva struggled with consistency, committing 24 unforced errors and landing only 48 percent of her first serves.
Elsewhere in the tournament, top seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced via walkover after Russia’s Anastasia Potapova withdrew with an injury. No. 4 seed Coco Gauff cruised past Germany’s Ella Seidel 6-1, 6-1 in just 57 minutes, while third-seeded Jessica Pegula made quick work of Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-1. Jasmine Paolini, seeded fifth, overcame Germany’s Jule Niemeier 6-1, 7-5.
In the final match of the day, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko upset seventh-seeded Emma Navarro in a three-set battle, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Ostapenko was sharp on break points, converting six of nine and saving 14 of the 18 she faced.
