Home » Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Karolina Pliskova, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina get out to a great start

On Tuesday, Elena Rybakina got off to a strong start in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. In an hour and thirty minutes, the sixth-seeded Kazakh player defeated local underdog Jule Niemeier 7-5, 6-3. Compared to the German’s two aces and five double faults, Rybakina had just one.

Rybakina outperformed Niemeier when it came to earning first-serve points, although both players won 55% of the points on their second serves. Niemeier won 17 of the 25 points she played on her first serve, while Rybakina only lost nine of the 41 points she played on her first serve.

Rybakina converted three of the five break chances she faced on Niemeier’s serve while saving five of the six break points that she faced. Rybakina will play Beatriz Haddad Maia on Thursday in an attempt to advance to the quarterfinals.

Karolina Pliskova, a former world number one, also triumphed in Stuttgart’s opening round. In an hour and 11 minutes, the Czech defeated eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3. Pliskova converted four break points on the Greek’s serve while saving the lone break point she encountered.

She will face Donna Vekic next. Last but not least, fifth seed Coco Gauff advanced to the second round. Veronika Kudermetova was defeated by the American 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3). Gauff defeated Anastasia Potapova in the next match for a chance to go to the quarterfinals in two hours and 45 minutes.

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka excel

In the meantime, Jelena Ostapenko lost to third seed Ons Jabeur in their second-round match. Jabeur overcame a set deficit to defeat the Latvian, who had threatened Emma Raducanu in their opening-round match on Monday.

Jabeur won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes. The Tunisians have advanced thus far in the WTA 500 tournament for the second consecutive year. Jabeur was defeated by Paula Badosa in 2022. The 28-year-old will face the winner of the match between Rybakina and Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals this year in an attempt to advance to the semi-finals for the first time.

Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, defeated Barbora Krejcikova in the round of 16 to go to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix quarterfinals for the third time in a row. Sabalenka defeated the Czech in just 75 minutes for her third victory of the year in their four meetings.

Sabalenka, who has advanced to the competition final twice, will next face either Paula Badosa or Cristina Bucsa. Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, source of image Twitter