Ostapenko maintains Swiatek hoodoo to reach Stuttgart semis

Jelena Ostapenko maintained her 100% record against Iga Swiatek by dumping the world number two out of the Stuttgart Open at the quarter-final stage.

The former French Open champion, who had won all five of her previous meetings with Swiatek, reached the last four of the clay-court event for the first time with Saturday's 6-3 3-6 6-2 triumph.

A flying start saw Ostapenko take the first four games of the match, and though Swiatek managed back-to-back breaks in games five and seven, the Latvian broke to love in between those setbacks to maintain her grip on the opener.

Swiatek fought back to win the second set, but Ostapenko would not be deterred, and won 12 of the first 15 points to start the decider.

Having broken in game two, the Latvian did so again in the eighth game to wrap up victory, missing her first match-point opportunity but taking her second as the Pole swung a wild forehand wide to the left.

Ostapenko, who previously beat Swiatek in straight sets in the semi-finals in Doha this season, will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last four, after she beat Jessica Pegula 6-0 6-4.

and she does it AGAIN!@JelenaOstapenk8 defeats Swiatek for a sixth time 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to advance into the Stuttgart semifinals! #PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/uNQ60PGMy0

— wta (@WTA) April 19, 2025

Data debrief: Swiatek's bogey player

Among players to have never been the WTA world number one, Ostapenko is only the third to win her first six tour-level meetings with a former or future number one.

The previous players to do so were Gabriela Sabatini (against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Jennifer Capriati) and Agnieszka Radwanska (against Karolina Pliskova).