STUTTGART, April 19 (Reuters) - Top seed Elena Rybakina had her eyes on the prize, literally, as she overpowered Karolina Muchova 7-5 6-1 to win the Stuttgart Open on Sunday and drive away with a Porsche car for the second time in her career.
While the Kazakh claimed her second title of the season, it was the tournament's traditional Porsche award that truly captured Rybakina's attention more than the silverware itself.
The first Porsche she won in 2024 had given her a push to get a driver’s licence last year and she was all smiles when she drove her newly won second sports car down the ramp before parking it on the red clay of the arena.
Victory elevated Rybakina into exclusive company, making her just the fourth active player to win at least five WTA-level titles on multiple surfaces, joining an elite group that includes Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek.
"It's an amazing tournament, we love coming back here... It really feels like home and you just want to come back every year," Rybakina said.
"Super happy for the second win here in Stuttgart and this beautiful car."
RYBAKINA COMES OUT SWINGING
Rybakina surged to a swift 3-0 lead in the opening set with a flurry of aggressive shot-making against a largely defensive Muchova.
She was nearly untouchable behind her first serve, consistently pushing Muchova onto the back foot, while the Australian Open champion also mixed in confident net play, forcing her Czech opponent to cover every inch of the court.
However, Muchova showed resilience, clawing her way back from 5-2 down to level at 5-5. But as she served to force a tiebreak, untimely errors crept in and Rybakina pounced to clinch the opening set when Muchova's return sailed long.
That proved to be the spark Rybakina needed as she shifted gears decisively in the second set, reeling off five consecutive games - echoing her dominant win over Mirra Andreeva in the semi-final - before Muchova got on the board.
Serving for the title, Rybakina closed it out in style, serving to love and wrapping up a Tour-leading 25th victory of the season in 78 minutes.
"Elena, honestly, too good. You played really well," Muchova said.
"I tried to stop you, but you clearly wanted a Porsche for the second time really bad. So, (you) made it very tough for me. Congrats!"
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
