Elena Rybakina claims Stuttgart title with dominant straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk

ByOli Gent

Updated 21/04/2024 at 15:17 GMT

Elena Rybakina clinched her third title of the calendar year with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Marta Kostyuk in the Stuttgart Open final. The world No. 4 lifted her third title on clay with a perfect performance, not being broken once. She had had to come through distance matches all week - including a thriller against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek - to reach the final, but she saved her best till last.

Elena Rybakina clinched the Stuttgart title with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Marta Kostyuk in Sunday's final.

The world No. 4 added a third title of 2024 to her collection on the German indoor clay, defeating the tricky, unseeded Ukrainian in one hour and nine minutes.

In a match where no aces were hit by either player, it was more about the dominance that the Kazakh showed with her groundstrokes, stepping inside the court to dictate the rallies and use her power to move her opponent from side to side.

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Rybakina broke serve immediately, setting the early pace, and she wrapped up the first set after just 30 minutes.

She lost just one point behind her first serve - 15 from 16 - and faced only three break points in the entire match, saving all of them.

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It took Rybakina three match points to finally see the match out, and a looping Kostyuk backhand flew long to seal the deal.

The result notches Rybakina ahead in the pair’s head-to-head, after she had beaten Kostyuk in the first round of the US Open last year and the Ukrainian had shocked her in the last 16 of Adelaide.

However, in their first meeting on clay, it was Rybakina who lifted her third title on the dirt to follow up her previous victories in Bucharest and Rome.

"I always believe in myself, of course, but it not only depends on me," Rybakina said after her win. "There is a lot of great players, tough opponents. But I know if I feel fresh, if I'm physically ready, healthy, I'm playing my game, of course I have all the chances to win a Grand Slam on any surface."

She added: "I knew that I have to be focused from the beginning, and also, compare the match with Iga [Swiatek], 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."

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The 24-year-old continues her hot streak of form in the lead-up to the French Open with the most titles won this calendar year after her triumphs in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi.

She had to do it the hard way in Germany, however, with all her previous matches in the tournament going the distance, including a thriller in the semi-finals against Swiatek, the world No. 1, which she won 6-3 4-6 6-3.

Kostyuk had had a fantastic tournament, knocking out three top-10 opponents en route to the final.

She saved five match points to beat fifth seed and Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng in the last 16, before coming from behind to oust third seed Coco Gauff in the last eight.

She then overpowered Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets to book her spot in the final.

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