Porsche Grand Prix: Jabeur fights back to cool red-hot Ostapenko and reach quarter-finals

The world No 4 will play either Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia or Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 6 seed, in the next round

Ons Jabeur at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart Image Credit: AI/Reuters/Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

April 19, 2023

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix •Round of 16 • completed

See draw

O. JabeurvsJ. Ostapenko

Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the No 3 seed, stood on the brink of exiting the WTA Porsche Grand Prix in the second round on Wednesday as she went up against a red-hot Jelena Ostapenko, the former Roland-Garros champion, in Stuttgart.

The Latvian played her usual brand of power-hitting tennis to win the first set 6-1 and go up a break in the second to lead 5-3 and serve for the match.

However, Jabeur withstood the storm and when she got a small chance to break back at 5-4 in the second, she took it and then pressed further to cool down the red-hot Ostapenko and take the match into a decider.

The 28-year-old Tunisian, ranked No 4 in the world, finally emerged a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 winner to extend her winning streak to six matches after winning the Charleston title earlier this month.

The win evens the head-to-head between the two players at 2-2. Jabeur will next face either Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 6 seed, or Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in the last eight.

The Tunisian had received a bye in the first round while Ostapenko, ranked No 22 in the world, had defeated wildcard Emma Raducanu (6-2, 6-1) in the previous round in Stuttgart.

Stuttgart WTA 500, other round of 16 results (Porsche-Arena, EUR 780,637)