World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tense moment during her quarter-final win over Elise Mertens at the Stuttgart Open on Friday. The Belarusian clashed with the umpire over a disputed line call, but stayed composed to win 6-4, 6-1.
The drama unfolded in the first set when Sabalenka was down a break point. She disagreed with a call that ruled her shot out and asked chair umpire Miriam Bley to inspect the mark on the clay. After the umpire checked, Sabalenka walked over herself and took a photo of the ball mark using a member of her team’s phone.
This action earned her a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. Despite the incident, Sabalenka quickly regained control of the match, broke back immediately, and went on to dominate.
After the match, Sabalenka shook hands with Bley but made a subtle remark during her on-court interview.
“There was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake,” she said. “Never had it before.”
When asked if she responded with the same grip, Sabalenka added, “No, it’s OK. Why would I play this game with someone like her? It’s OK.”
Sabalenka will now face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the semi-finals. Paolini upset Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 earlier in the day.
In another major upset, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko extended her perfect record against world No. 2 Iga Swiatek with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory. Ostapenko has now beaten Swiatek six times in six matches, with wins on all surfaces—grass, hard court, and now clay.
Swiatek, the two-time defending Stuttgart champion, came into the match with an 11-1 record at the event. But she struggled again against Ostapenko’s aggressive groundstrokes, which repeatedly forced errors from her forehand side.
Ostapenko hit 29 winners to Swiatek’s 17 and took advantage of eight double faults from the Pole. She broke Swiatek three times in the opening set and dominated the final set by winning 12 of the first 15 points.
“She’s a great clay-court player, but I won the French Open too, so I can say the same about myself,” said Ostapenko, 27. “I have a lot of respect for her and her team, but every time we play, it’s a battle—and I’m ready.”
Ostapenko will face Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals. Alexandrova defeated third seed Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-4.
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