Jelena Ostapenko delivered a dominant performance to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-1 in the Stuttgart final on Monday, securing her first singles title of the season in emphatic fashion.
Unseeded coming into the tournament, Ostapenko showed no signs of nerves as she overpowered Sabalenka from the baseline and capitalized on the top seed’s struggles with her first serve.
Playing in her fourth consecutive Stuttgart final—and having lost the previous three—Sabalenka once again fell short on the German clay. In her first clay-court appearance since last year’s French Open, the Belarusian was broken in the opening game and never truly found her rhythm.
Ostapenko, ranked 24th in the world and fresh off a win over world number two Iga Swiatek earlier in the week, had more break opportunities at 4-2 in the first set, but Sabalenka managed to hold. However, the top seed couldn’t maintain the momentum. Though she earned a break, she was immediately broken back, and Ostapenko sealed the first set soon after.
The second set started with exchanged breaks, but from 1-1, Ostapenko went into overdrive—winning 16 of the next 18 points and racing ahead to a 5-1 lead. A final shaky service game from Sabalenka gave Ostapenko two match points, and she needed just one, sealing the win with a stunning crosscourt forehand return off a second serve.
At 27, the Latvian continues to show the dangerous form that saw her win the 2017 French Open, her only Grand Slam title to date. The Stuttgart crown adds another spark to her resurgence and could signal more deep runs on clay this season.
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