Rybakina will now take on either Leylah Fernandez or Zeynep Sonmez in the last-eight round. | Photo Credit: AP

Top seed Elena Rybakina beat Diana Shnaider in straight sets to qualify for the quarterfinals of the WTA clay-court event in Stuttgart on Thursday as reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff also advanced.

The 26-year-old Rybakina, who was champion in the German tournament in 2024 but skipped last year’s event, relied on her service game as she won 6-2, 6-4 against the unseeded Russian in one hour and 12 minutes.

Shnaider, ranked 19th in the world, improved in the second set but was undone by double faults at crucial moments, allowing Kazakh Rybakina to capitalise.

Rybakina capped the match off with her ninth ace and will next take on either Leylah Fernandez or Zeynep Sonmez in the quarters.

World number three Gauff kicked off her bid for a first Stuttgart title with a straight sets win over Liudmila Samsonova.

The American second seed won 7-5, 6-1 to book a quarterfinal clash with Czech Karolina Muchova, to be played on Friday.

Gauff said she modelled her clay court game on 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal, but said she was still trying to catch up to the Spanish legend.

“The greatest clay court player is Rafa. I don’t quite play like him, but I try to hit my forehand like him,” Gauff said, adding: “I’m like the Walmart version of Rafa—I don’t want to be obliterated online.”

Earlier on Thursday, Muchova came from a set down to beat Elise Mertens 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 to book a clash with Gauff.

Published on Apr 16, 2026