No Porsche again: Ostapenko hands Sabalenka 4th Stuttgart final loss
World number one Aryna Sabalenka was beaten for the fourth time in the Porsche Grand Prix final on Monday when she fell 6-4, 6-1 to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and missed out on the sports car from the main sponsor yet again.
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"I think you hate me now, you wanted the car so badly. You will get it another time," Ostakenko told Sabalenka in a light-hearted exchange.
Sabalenka said "enjoy your beautiful car" and quipped "I will order one now" after failing like in 2021 against Ash Barty, and 2022 and 2023 against Iga Swiatek, to claim the Porsche by winning the final of the star studded indoor clay court event in Stuttgart.
"Congrats Jelena you were the better player than me," Sabalenka added on a serious note after she found no answer against her 24th-ranked opponent and went down in 1 hour 25 minutes.
Ostapenko broke Sabalenka in the opening game which set the tone, and was undeterred when Sabalenka tied at 4-4.
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She went on to win eight of the remaining nine games and allowed Sabalenka a mere five points in the last five of them en route to victory with a return winner on first match point.
Ostapenko finished with 21 winners and just eight unforced errors.
It was Ostapenko's first win over Sabalenka in their fourth meeting, and a first clay court title for her since the surprise Roland Garros success in 2017.
The Latvian beat the two top ranked players in the world to get a ninth career title in what she named "an amazing week," having ousted second ranked triple French Open champion Swiatek in the quarter-finals.
Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand return against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko during their Women's Singles final tennis match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart. Marijan Murat/dpa
Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand return against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko during their Women's Singles final tennis match at the Women's Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament in Stuttgart. Marijan Murat/dpa
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