Sabalenka reaches the final in Stuttgart for the third time in a row

Third time the charm? Aryna Sabalenka will again try to clinch her first title in Stuttgart on Sunday thanks to an easy win this Saturday against Anastasia Potapova (6-1, 6-2). The second seed lost in the final in 2021 against Ashleigh Barty and in 2022 against Iga Swiatek. She’s now sure to get a third chance to get her hands on that trophy and on the Porsche that goes with it.

“I was really focused, and I think from the very first point I was playing really aggressively. I didn’t give her much time. I think that’s why the match finished like that quickly. But anyway, she’s a great player, and I think in the future she going to be top player. I think I just played too good today. (Laughter.)

The Australian Open champion will now play the winner of the match between Pole Iga Swiatek, the top seed, and Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the No 3 seed, next. “Last year I was struggling a lot with a lot of things, especially my serve. This year I feel like a different player, a different person right now. So I feel I’m much calmer on the court. I’m serving better.”

This week she beat Czech Barbora Krejcikova (6-2, 6-3) and edged out Spanish wildcard Paula Badosa (4-6, 6-4, 6-4) on Thursday. In the previous rounds of the Stuttgart Open, Potapova, ranked No 24, defeated Croat qualifier Petra Martic (6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4)), American Coco Gauff, the No 5 seed (6-2, 6-3) and Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, the No 4 seed (4-6, 6-3, 6-3).

Stuttgart WTA 500, other semi-final results (Porsche-Arena, EUR 780.637):

• Iga Swiatek vs. Ons Jabeur