Alexandrova Holds Off Pegula’s Comeback to Reach Stuttgart Semifinals

After a day off due to Good Friday in Germany, the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart resumed this Saturday. On the indoor clay courts, the first quarterfinal matchup pitted Ekaterina Alexandrova against world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, marking their third clash of 2025. So far this year, both players have claimed one victory each in their head-to-head battles.

Just days ago, Pegula defeated the Russian in the semifinals of the Charleston tournament after a tight contest (6-2, 2-6, 7-5). But this time, the dynamic was entirely different, and the anticipated battle between the two never truly materialized.

While Alexandrova and Pegula had each won two matches in their previous meetings, their fifth encounter was cut short. Alexandrova, who had already dispatched Liudmila Samsonova and Mirra Andreeva in straight sets in earlier rounds, delivered a dominant performance, leaving her opponent with almost no chance (6-0, 6-4 in 1 hour and 21 minutes).

Unshakable for most of the match, the Russian faltered slightly when leading 5-2 and then 0/40 on Pegula’s serve. But ultimately, the world No. 22, who won the Linz tournament earlier this year, tightened her game at the crucial moment to secure a fifth and final break—sealing victory on her sixth match point.

This marks her third win in five meetings against the world No. 3. Impressive all season, the 30-year-old Alexandrova has already taken down Sabalenka, Pegula (in Doha), Andreeva, and Zheng in recent weeks, notching her fifth top-10 win of 2025. She now awaits the winner of the match between Jelena Ostapenko and Iga Świątek for a spot in the final.