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Ana Ivanovic has lauded Elena Rybakina following the Kazakh's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix triumph in Stuttgart. Rybakina secured a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk in the final of the WTA 500 event.
Fourth seed Rybakina started her Stuttgart campaign in the Round of 16 after a first-round bye. Her first opponent, Veronika Kudermetova, gave her a major scare, but ultimately, Rybakina progressed. An in-form Jasmine Paolini also tested the Kazakh in the quarterfinals, but once again, Rybakina came out on top.
In the semis, Rybakina faced top seed and WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The Kazakh clinched the first set comfortably but was pegged back by the prolific Pole in the second. However, ultimately, it was Rybakina who reached the final after a stellar display in the third set.
The final turned out to be the most dominant display from the Kazakh in the tournament. Rybakina never allowed Kostyuk to settle and converted four out of six break points. On the other hand, Kostyuk failed to convert any of her break point opportunities. Ultimately, Rybakina wrapped up the contest in just over an hour to win her third title in what so far has been a stellar season.
Ana Ivanovic, a former WTA World No. 1, lauded Rybakina for her performance via a social media post. The Serb hailed the Kazakh's dominance against Kostyuk after her herculean effort against Swiatek in the semis. Ivanovic also had words of encouragement to offer Kostyuk. She posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"Congratulations Elena Rybakina. Strong performance throughout the tournament! After defeating Iga Swiatek in the semis it was another great match! Heads up, Marta Kostyuk," Ivanovic wrote on X.
"Compared to the match with Iga Swiatek, it's a lot different" - Elena Rybakina
After the conclusion of the final, Rybakina reflected on the challenges she faced from Kostyuk. The Kazakh said that the Ukrainian posed problems different from those posed by Swiatek.
"I knew that I have to be focused from the beginning, and also, compared [to] the match with Iga, it's a lot different. Marta is coming forward, trying to take the ball early. She moves well. But still, the speed is different, and I was focusing not to rush, also to try to open the angle," Rybakina said.
Rybakina's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix triumph marks her eighth title on the WTA Tour. It was also her third career title on clay after her successes at the 2019 Bucharest Open and the 2023 Italian Open.
