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Ostapenko shows class on clay in Stuttgart

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko opened her clay court season in style by thrashing Zarina Diyas at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

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Source: AAP


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French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko opened her clay court season in style at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart by thrashing Zarina Diyas

Coming off a first-round bye, the fourth-seeded Latvian Ostapenko thrashed the Kazakh qualifier 6-3 6-0, winning nine straight games.

However, it was a disappointing day for reigning champion Laura Siegemund and local favourite Angelique Kerber, who went out.

Siegemund was ousted 6-4 4-6 6-3 by American wildcard entry Coco Vandeweghe.

The 2016 winner Kerber retired with what appeared to be a right thigh injury as she trailed Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-0 2-0.

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"I am happy to be on clay again," Ostapenko said.

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

Siegemund was playing in only her third tournament after 10 months on the sidelines with a ruptured cruciate knee ligament, and she had mixed feelings after going out to Vandeweghe who paved the way to victory with a quick 3-0 lead in the final set.

"Looking at where I am coming from I have to be satisfied. But of course I wanted to win," said the German who has slipped to 100 in the rankings during her absence.

World No.3 Garbine Muguruza was also forced to retire with a back injury during her round of 16 match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Russian Pavlyuchenkova won the first set 7-5 before Spaniard Muguruza, the second seed, called it quits.

Caroline Garcia beat Ukrainian qualifier Marta Kostyuk 6-1 3-6 7-5 to book her place in the quarter-finals.

The French world No.7, who overcame Maria Sharapova in the first round, faced another stern test before taming the 15-year-old Kostyuk in an hour and 41 minutes.


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