Aryna Sabalenka is through to the Stuttgart Open semi-final on a day of major upsets which saw the likes of Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek sent packing from the tournament in Germany on Saturday.
The world number one cruised past her Belgian rival Elise Mertens in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open in Germany to be the only one among the top four seeds to reach the last four.
Sabalenka, who is bidding to win the Stuttgart Open for the first time, overcame a disputed call with a line judge during the match to beat Mertens 6-4, 6-1 and set up a semi-final date with Jasmine Paolini.
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The three-time runner-up will face Jasmine Paolini for a place in Monday’s final after the Italian secured a 6-4, 6-3 win over fourth seeded American, Coco Gauff.
Meanwhile, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek suffered a sixth career defeat to 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to also exit the tournament in the quarter-final.
Ostapenko, who hit 29 winners compared to Swiatek’s 17, is the first player to beat the second-seeded Pole on every surface – once on grass, four times on hard courts and once on clay.
The Austrian will now face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last-four, after the Russian beat American third seed Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-4 in another quarter-final upset in Stuttgart.