STUTTGART, Germany — The 2024 Stuttgart champion Elena Rybakina jetted off to a robust begin on the 2026 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Stuttgart: Scores | Draws | Order of play
After foregoing the 2025 version, electing to start her clay courtroom season in Madrid, the World No. 2 returned to southwestern Germany as this yr’s prime seed to start her clay stint. She dealt with Diana Shnaider with ease in a 6-2, 6-4 win.
The matchup was intriguing — it was their first assembly on the WTA Tour and marked the primary time Rybakina confronted a lefty this season. The Kazakh’s win over Leylah Fernandez, who she’ll face Friday, in Tokyo final October was the final left-handed opponent she confronted. Earlier within the day, Rybakina even practiced with left-handed doubles specialist Desirae Krawczyk in preparations for Shnaider.
“I think I started pretty well,” Rybakina mentioned to press. “Of course on the return, it’s kind of difficult. I might say not solely as a result of she’s lefty, simply these courts, they’re specific, and in addition I wanted time to get used slightly bit to the sunshine and simply surrounding of the courtroom.
“We don’t have so many lefties, so it’s always a bit tricky.”
The circumstances — or lack thereof due to the indoor venue — performed to Rybakina’s energy, who was extremely efficient on her function she usually is. Ahead of the match, Rybakina mentioned to press that she had been largely coaching indoors to regulate to the floor, and mentioned she finds it a great segway earlier than transitioning open air after, although the floor in Stuttgart takes her a while to get adjusted to.
Of her 5 service video games within the opening set, she received three at-love, and misplaced only a whole of three factors within the different two mixed. The rallies weren’t too lengthy within the first set, as Rybakina closed it out in simply 29 minutes throughout 9 video games. Often, the serve allowed her to create fast, two to three-shot rallies, the place she focused Shnaider’s backhand to create a chance for a winner. Rybakina received 17 of the primary 22 factors, sprinting out to a 4-1 lead.
As for Shnaider, she carried out a lot better within the second set, however premature double faults proved to be a dagger all through the match. In the second, she had held serve persistently up till a deuce, with Rybakina up ad-40, however Shnaider’s double fault gifted Rybakina with the break. Rybakina closed the match on serve, capping it off along with her signature ace, in a single hour and 12 minutes.
What’s subsequent? Rybakina will face Fernandez within the quarterfinals. In an exciting, rollercoaster three-set match, Fernandez got here again from 1-5 down within the third set to prevail 6-7 (2), 6-1, 7-6 (5) to defeat Zeynep Sonmez. Rybakina has cut up the 4 conferences with the Canadian, although this would be the first encounter on clay.
“She’s lefty, which if she wins, it’s good for me that I played today against Diana,” Rybakina mentioned. “It was kind of a practice. She’s trying to play fast, take time on the baseline from you. Yeah, it’s gonna be difficult one. Will need to focus a lot on the return, on my serve, as well.”
