Marta Kostyuk takes out Marketa Vondrousova in Stuttgart for third Top 10 win in three days

Marta Kostyuk has become one of the biggest dragon-slayers on the women’s tour lately, and she’s keeping that reputation going in Stuttgart this week—she’s now beaten three Top 10 players in three days to reach the final of the WTA 500 clay-court event.

On Thursday, she fought off five match points to make it past No. 7-ranked Zheng Qinwen in the second round, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

On Friday she won another nail-biter, needing eight match points to close out No. 3-ranked Coco Gauff, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6), in the quarterfinals. That was also her biggest career win by ranking.

And on Saturday she did it again, allowing an early 5-1 lead to dissipate but regrouping to close the set out and then cruising past No. 8-ranked Marketa Vondrousova for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 semifinal win.

The Ukrainian is now through to the third WTA final of her career, having won a WTA 250 hard-court title at Austin last year and reaching a WTA 500 hard-court final in San Diego earlier this year (finishing runner-up there to Great Britain’s Katie Boulter).

Kostyuk’s wins against Top 10 players this week should come as no surprise. Going into Wimbledon last July she was 0-14 in her career against the elite, but between then and Stuttgart she had a winning record against them, 4-3, and with her three consecutive wins this week she’s now 7-3 in her last 10 matches against the elite.

KOSTYUK VS TOP 10 PLAYERS SINCE JULY 2023: 7-3
d. No. 8 Sakkari in ’23 Wimbledon 1st Rd, 0-6, 7-5, 6-2
d. No. 6 Garcia in ’23 Washington D.C. 2nd Rd, 6-2, 6-3
l. to No. 4 Rybakina in ’23 US Open 1st Rd, 6-2, 6-1
d. No. 7 Jabeur in ’23 Beijing 2nd Rd, 7-6 (5), 6-1
l. to No. 4 Gauff in ’24 Australian Open QFs, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2
d. No. 5 Pegula in ’24 San Diego SFs, 7-6 (4), 6-1
l. to No. 1 Swiatek in ’24 Indian Wells SFs, 6-2, 6-1
d. No. 7 Zheng in ’24 Stuttgart 2nd Rd, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
d. No. 3 Gauff in ’24 Stuttgart QFs, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6)
d. No. 8 Vondrousova in ’24 Stuttgart SFs, 7-6 (2), 6-2

Kostyuk will face No. 4-ranked Rybakina in the Stuttgart final.