French Open champ Ostapenko takes winning step on clay, Latest Tennis News - The New Paper
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French Open champ Ostapenko takes winning step on clay

Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko continued to build for her Paris tennis title defence with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Zarina Diyas yesterday at the Stuttgart Grand Prix.

The Latvian was joined in the quarter-finals at the Porsche Arena by fifth seed Karolina Pliskova as the Czech beat Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Ostapenko, ranked fifth in the world, broke her 52nd-ranked Kazakh opponent five times as she won in just 63 minutes.

"The early matches are tough but I think I played really well today and I'm just happy with the win," Ostapenko said.

The 20-year-old added that she is still adjusting to life as a Grand Slam champion, saying: "I expected I could win a Grand Slam but not at this early age.

"I just understood a couple of months later. Of course there is more attention from everyone.

"I got more popular especially in my country and almost every match I played I was as a favourite.

"At the beginning of this year, it was a little bit tough, a lot of pressure but I think I got used to it; especially after the Miami final (which she lost to Sloane Stephens), I'm feeling much better."

Pliskova, noted for a big serve, hammered 15 aces as she beat Kudermetova in a match that lasted just past the 90-minute mark.

Meanwhile, 10-time Barcelona Open champion Rafael Nadal eased past fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes-Baena 6-4, 6-4 in his first appearance at this year's tournament on Wednesday to reach the third round. Along the way, he set a record by winning 38 consecutive sets on clay.

Nadal will now meet another Spaniard, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who progressed after 14th seed Kei Nishikori retired from his first match after experiencing pain in his right wrist.

The Japanese, who lost to Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters final last Sunday, withdrew after losing the first set 6-3.

Second seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria also moved smoothly past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-1 to reach the last 16. - AFP

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