Number 4 seed and 2018 WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina edged past two-time Suttgart champion Angelique Kerber 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 after 1 hour and a half to move into the quarter finals at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart for the second time in her second appearance at this tournament.
Svitolina entered the match with a 8-5 lead in her 13 previous head-to-head matches against Kerber and won their last six clashes. The Ukrainian player earned five more breaks and hit five fewer unforced errors than Kerber.
Svitolina went up a break at 2-1 and 4-3 in the first set, but Kerber broke straight back in the next game with her forehand to draw level to 4-4. The German player saved three break points at 5-5 en route to the tie-break. Svitolina got an early mini-break to take a 1-0 lead. Kerber won three consecutive points to take a 3-1 lead with two mini-breaks. Svitolina pulled back the mini-break to draw level to 3-3. Svitolina took the 5-4 edge after a double fault from Kerber. The Ukrainian player hit a volley winner to earn two set points at 6-4. Svitolina sealed the first set point after just an hour after a netted return by Kerber.
In the second set Svitolina did not face any more break points and earned the decisive break at 2-1 after a double fault by Kerber on break point. Svitolina set up a quarter final against defending champion Petra Kvitova.
Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Belinda Bencic 6-1 7-5. Alexandrova broke twice in the second and sixth games to win the first set 6-1. Bencic went up a 4-2 lead with a break in the fifth game of the second set. Bencic broke back at deuce in the eighth game to draw level and held serve to take a 5-4 lead. Alexandrova won the final three games including a break in the 11th game to take a 7-5 lead.
