Grand Slam champions Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko emerged victorious in the Thursday night matches in Stuttgart, completing a captivating quarterfinal lineup at the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
All eight quarterfinalists are within the Top 30 rankings, with five of them in the top six of the PIF WTA Rankings. Due to the Good Friday holiday, there will be no matches in Stuttgart on Friday, with play resuming on Saturday.
Here`s a recap of Thursday evening`s action at the Porsche-Arena:
Coco Gauff Dominates Ella Seidel
Coco Gauff [4] defeated Ella Seidel [LL] 6-1, 6-1
World No. 4 Coco Gauff needed only 57 minutes to defeat lucky loser Ella Seidel, who was the last German player remaining in the singles competition. This victory marks Gauff`s best result in Stuttgart, equaling her quarterfinal appearance from last year.
Gauff showcased her strong serve, winning 87 percent of her first-serve points and successfully defending all three break points she faced. This win provides a boost to Gauff`s season, as it`s her first quarterfinal appearance since the Australian Open in January.
`I got onto clay immediately after Miami, essentially,` Gauff mentioned after her win. `This year, I arrived a bit earlier to give myself more time to adapt to the clay and the indoor conditions here as well. … Overall, I believe it was a beneficial decision.`
US Open champion Gauff will now face No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match on Saturday. Gauff holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Paolini, although their last encounter was 20 months ago.
Regarding Paolini, Gauff commented, `She`s an incredible mover and possesses a very strong forehand. We haven`t competed against each other recently on tour, but we do practice together, as she mentioned.`
`Everyone is aware of Jasmine and her fighting spirit. She never gives up. I`ve never witnessed her do so on the court.`
Ostapenko Overcomes Navarro in Three Sets
Jelena Ostapenko defeated Emma Navarro [7] 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko reached her first Stuttgart quarterfinal since 2018 by overcoming World No. 11 Emma Navarro in a match lasting 2 hours and 18 minutes. This is only her second quarterfinal of the year, but she maintains a 3-1 record against Top 20 players in 2024.
The first set was characterized by momentum shifts and strong return games. Ostapenko initially failed to serve out the set at 5-4 but seized her second opportunity at 6-5. Her powerful game then took over, securing a love hold and the set.
Navarro responded in the second set, breaking serve with a powerful backhand crosscourt winner to lead 4-2 and ultimately level the match. Despite converting only 1 of 6 break points in the set, it proved sufficient as she remained unbroken on her serve.
However, Ostapenko regained control in the third set, unleashing powerful groundstrokes when it mattered most. From 2-2 in the deciding set, the 2017 Roland Garros champion claimed 16 of the subsequent 20 points to secure victory.
Ostapenko demonstrated greater efficiency in capitalizing on opportunities on Thursday, converting six of her nine break points. In contrast, Navarro was successful on only 4 of 18 break point opportunities.
The quarterfinal is set between Ostapenko and No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Notably, Ostapenko has a perfect 5-0 record against Swiatek in their previous encounters, including a win in Doha earlier this year.
Stay tuned for more updates…
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth