Top Stars And Outliers Make Up Last Eight In Stuttgart

Ekaterina Alexandrova
Ekaterina Alexandrova (photo: Porsche AG)

STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 18, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

The top five seeds in this year’s WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tour’s first European clay-court tournament of the season. However, there are also three unseeded players who have made it to the weekend’s last eight.

As the second round reached its completion Thursday in Stuttgart, a capacity crowd of 4,400 filled Porsche Arena and was treated to a day and evening when the top stars in action showed a commanding presence.

The top three players in action – World No. 3 Coco Gauff, World No. 4 Jessica Pegula and World No. 6 Jasmine Paolini – all won their matches convincingly to join World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s quarterfinal round.

Meanwhile, two more seeds fell on the fourth day of main-draw play: No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva, who lost to No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova, and No. 7 seed Emma Navarro, who was eliminated by No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko. This brings to three the total number of seeds who have lost in the early rounds, which includes No. 8 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia, who fell to No. 29 Elise Mertens of Belgium on Wednesday night.

On Saturday, following a day off Friday for a public holiday, the quarterfinals will commence with the tournament’s top five seeds, who represent five of the World’s Top 6 players. Top seed Sabalenka will take on Mertens, No. 2 seed Swiatek will play Ostapenko, No. 3 seed Pegula will face Alexandrova, and No. 4 seed Gauff will oppose No. 5 seed Paolini.

Around the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

• Ekaterina Alexandrova advanced to her fourth quarterfinal of the season – and second time at Stuttgart – with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over World No. 7 and sixth seed Mirra Andreeva Thursday afternoon. The 65-minute win by the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in the all-Russian second-round match, in which she secured match point with a solid third-shot backhand winner, was aided by her five breaks of the 17-year-old Andreeva’s serve. She hit 19 winners – including eight aces – and took advantage of 24 unforced errors by the disappointed Andreeva.

Alexandrova, 30, said afterward she was impressed by her play. “Before the match, I was preparing for a very difficult match, and some of it was really difficult despite the score,” she said in her on-court interview. “I was really pleased with my game today, especially on the clay. I’m super happy to be back here in the quarterfinals.”

Later, during her post-match news conference Alexandrova added: “Yeah, I really love playing indoors, but still, it’s a clay court. So, it’s different from the hard court.

“Today, when I went on the court, I didn’t have really any expectations, but just, like, kind of I was trying to focus on the things that I want to improve on the clay and in my game in general.

“So, like, there was no rush for, like, a result or anything. So more, like, on the things that I need to do. And I think that worked, and I’m really pleased with the game today and, like, the overall match.”

A five-time titlist on the WTA Tour, including earlier this year indoors in Linz, Alexandrova’s win over Andreeva was her 18th career Top-10 triumph – fourth of the season – and second of the month after defeating World No. 8 Zheng Qinwen at Charleston two weeks ago.

• Next, Alexandrova will face World No. 3 and third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States, in a rematch of their Charleston semifinal. On Thursday, Pegula needed just 59 minutes to beat No. 28 Magdalena Frech of Poland, 6-1, 6-1.

Pegula dropped just six points on her serve – winning 29 of 35 service points – and converted all five of her break-point chances. She struck 17 winners, made just 14 unforced errors, saved the only break point she faced and outpointed Frech 54-24.

“I am super happy. It was a fantastic match for me,” said Pegula, 31, who two weeks ago won the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open title on green clay in the South Carolina Lowcountry and is undefeated this season on clay – green or red. Asked about the court conditions inside Porsche Arena, which features red clay, Pegula said: “The court feels good, not much different to the one in Charleston.”

Later, in her post-match news conference, Pegula added: “Yeah, definitely good to get my first win here in Stuttgart. I thought I played some really good tennis. Things were kind of just clicking today.

“You know, happy it was quick – not easy, but quick – and efficient, I guess I should say.”

• Meanwhile, World No. 6 and fifth seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy ended the run of 121st-ranked German wild card Jule Niemeier, 6-1, 7-5, in one hour and 26 minutes on Centre Court. Although Niemeier saved two match points, Paolini put away the win on her third try with a cross-court forehand winner on the ninth shot of the rally to move into her second quarterfinal of the season.

The victory advanced Paolini to her second-straight Stuttgart quarterfinal and improved her win-loss record against German opponents to 3-0. The diminutive Italian hit 15 winners and made just seven unforced errors, compared to 16 winners and 25 unforced errors for Niemeier. Paolini broke Niemeier’s serve five times in eight opportunities and outpointed her opponent 65-52.

“It was very tough, she was playing so good,” Paolini said of Niemeier during her on-court interview. “Her forehand was unbelievable. The second set was a little bit tricky. I broke her two times and she broke me again. So, it was tough. I’m really happy with my performance. It’s not easy to play here against Jule. I’m really happy about it.”

Niemeier found positives in her defeat. “I had hope for more today,” she said, “but I was able to show that I can keep up with top-ranked players.”

After reaching the final at Roland-Garros last year, Paolini’s game on clay at the start of this season seems headed in the right direction.

• On Saturday, Paolini will be put to a test when she plays World No. 3 and third seed Coco Gauff, who needed just 57 minutes to defeat 124th-ranked German lucky loser Ella Seidel, a member of the Porsche Talent Team, 6-1, 6-1.

Gauff hit 14 winners, won 78 percent of her first-serve points, saved all three break points she faced from Seidel and broke her opponent’s serve five times in eight attempts. She outpointed Seidel 54-28. The 20-year-old German managed just six winners and made 28 unforced errors.

“It feels really good to be back,” the 21-year-old Gauff said during her on-court interview. “I was moving well on the court.”

When Gauff was asked about the Porsche Macau Turbo, which is on display all week – elevated behind one of the baselines – and awarded to the tournament champion, she revealed: “I drive a 911, so I like it when things go fast.”

• In the final match of the evening – and, arguably, the most competitive one of the day – No. 24 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, came on strong to beat World No. 11 and No. 7 seed Emma Navarro of the United States, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, in two hours and 18 minutes – which made it the longest match of the day.

Ostapenko reached her 12th career quarterfinal on clay with a performance that included seven aces, six breaks of Navarro’s serve in nine opportunities, and she saved 14 of 18 break points she faced. Ostapenko outpointed Navarro 109-99.

In her seventh Stuttgart appearance, Ostapenko is through to the last eight for the second time in her career – and first since 2018. She did it with a high-risk, high-reward approach, which yielded her 44 winners but also produced 21 unforced errors.

“It was hard to play against her, because she’s like not missing a lot of balls since she’s very consistent,” Ostapenko said during her post-match news conference. “I was fighting until the very last point. Even after second set I was rushing a bit too much. Didn’t feel my game. I’m really glad that in the third set I started to feel my game and managed to win the match.”

Next, Ostapenko will face World No. 2 and seed Iga Swiatek of Poland. “I just have to do what I have to do: Stay aggressive and playing my game. I’m always ready for a battle against great players. I mean, she’s a great player,” Ostapenko said.

“Yeah, I think I just need to focus more on what I have to do.”

• The semifinal doubles field was rounded out on Court 1 Thursday as three quarterfinal-round matches took place to narrow the draw to four teams. Advancing were: No. 1 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, who defeated Alexandra Panova of Russia and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-4, 6-2; and unseeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, who defeated Asia Muhammad of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, 6-1, 6-1.

However, No. 2 seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy were upset by unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Zhang Shuai of China, 6-2, 2-6, 10-8.

Thursday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix results

Friday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix order of play

By the numbers

Jasmine Paolini has reached the Stuttgart quarterfinals in back-to-back years. Last year, in her debut, she advanced to the last eight before losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

“Quotable …”

“I’m the kind of person who sees the glass half full, not half empty. I think it makes sense. I’m doing what I love [playing tennis] – being happy about – and I try to do my best and enjoy it. I think that’s the key for me to playing better.”

– World No. 6 and fifth seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy, during her on-court interview with Andrea Petkovic, on her spirit and positivity.

 

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