Top-seeded Sabalenka beats Paolini to set up Porsche Grand Prix final against unseeded Ostapenko
Top-seeded Sabalenka beats Paolini to set up Porsche Grand Prix final against unseeded Ostapenko
Jasmine Paolini of Italy in action against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in action against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia during their women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, and Jasmine Paolini of Italy shake hands after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Jasmine Paolini of Italy in action against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in action against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia during their women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, and Jasmine Paolini of Italy shake hands after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after the women's singles semi-final tennis match of the WTA tour against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka won 7-5, 6-4 against Jasmine Paolini of Italy on Sunday to set up a clay-court Porsche Grand Prix final against unseeded Jelena Ostapenko.
The No.1-ranked Sabalenka has conserved some energy in the tournament. The 26-year-old Belarussian got a bye through the first round and a walkover in the second.
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Sabalenka looked sharp against the fifth-seeded Paolini, last year's French Open runner-up, breaking her serve six times.
The 27-year-old Ostapenko, who is Latvian, earlier won 6-4, 6-4 against Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Ostapenko won the French Open in 2017 with a high-risk brand of big-hitting tennis and improbable winners.
It is her only major title so far. She reached a career-best ranking of fifth the following year and is now ranked 24th.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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