Sabalenka Targets First Stuttgart Title After Fourth Final Berth

STUTTGART: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will have another shot at winning her maiden Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title after booking her place in the final for the fourth time in five years. On Sunday, she overcame No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in Stuttgart, Germany, securing a spot in Monday’s championship match.

The Belarusian star came out firing in the first set with a 3-0 lead, but Paolini battled back to level at 5-5. With the Italian serving for the set, Sabalenka broke at a crucial moment and then held serve to take the opener.

Paolini responded with a strong start in the second set, but Sabalenka once again turned the tide. From 4-4, she broke Paolini and served out the match in one hour and 35 minutes.

In the final, Sabalenka will face Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, who ousted Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-4. Sabalenka holds a 3-0 head-to-head advantage over Ostapenko, including a win on clay in Rome last year.

While Ostapenko boasts a French Open title from 2017, Sabalenka will aim to add her first Stuttgart crown to a growing resume that already includes three Grand Slam trophies.