STUTTGART, Germany — The quarterfinal stage is set at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, with all of the world's top five players advancing. The indoor clay tournament in Stuttgart features a strong field ahead of the French Open.
American Coco Gauff showed dominant form in her opening match. After a first-round bye, the fourth seed needed just 57 minutes to eliminate German lucky loser Ella Seidel 6-1, 6-1.
That victory sets up a quarterfinal clash for Coco Gauff against fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini. Paolini defeated Jule Niemeier to reach this stage. Gauff noted her opponent's defense and fight will make the match tough.
Jessica Pegula, seeded third, also cruised into the quarterfinals. She beat Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-1 in 59 minutes. Pegula, fresh off a title win in Charleston, will face Ekaterina Alexandrova next.
The tournament crowd drew praise from both American players. Pegula described the atmosphere as "crazy" and "really loud," noting the energy despite wearing headphones. She appreciated the "cool centre court" setup with the sponsor cars.
Gauff commented on the crowd size, saying this is the most packed she has seen the event for a first match. She feels it shows strong support for women's tennis in Stuttgart.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarters via walkover. She awaits Elise Mertens, who won two tough matches. Sabalenka eyes a first Stuttgart title after reaching three previous finals.
Meanwhile, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek continues her quest for a third straight title here. Swiatek holds a 11-1 record in Stuttgart. She looks sharp despite the switch from hard courts to clay.
Swiatek faces a challenge in Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko holds a winning record against Swiatek, though they have not met on clay. Ostapenko hit 44 winners in her last match, displaying aggressive play.
The quarterfinal matchups feature five of the world's top six players. Matches include Swiatek vs. Ostapenko and Sabalenka vs. Mertens, in addition to the Gauff-Paolini and Pegula-Alexandrova contests. All top seeds remain in contention for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title.
