Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko celebrates winning the women's final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Romania's Simona Halep in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Saturday, June 10, 2017.
Ostapenko's win denied Halep not only a first Grand Slam title but what would have been a win that elevated her to the No. 1 ranking, bumping the struggling Angie Kerber who still hangs on to the top spot.
Ostapenko broke in the final game to claim the title in the only way she knows, hitting two stunning winners, ending with a crunching, trademark backhand down the line - her 54th victor of the match.
Halep presents something of a polar opposite with the ball in play: She extends points, grinding along the baseline and sliding to retrieve ball after ball, forcing foes to come up with the goods time after time.
2012 - Played first WTA qualifying at Moscow; won one singles title and one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
"This one hurts a lot maybe because I am more.I realize more what is happening", said the 25-year-old.
The world number 47 had come from behind to win three times in her remarkable run to the final and she climbed the proverbial mountain again when it mattered most in front of Court Philippe Chatrier crowd that lapped up every second. I just love it so much. "I'm really happy. I have no words, it was my dream", Ostapenko said.
Halep, beaten by Maria Sharapova in the final in 2014, had been the favourite from the start of the tournament and looked to be cruising at a set and 3-0, with points for 4-0.
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Ostapenko pushed for the break but Halep is a better defender than any of the Latvian's previous opponents and she withstood the pressure.
Fortune favours the fearless and Ostapenko got a crucial break thanks to a huge element of luck in the next game.
Ostapenko, after somehow managing to hold to keep the score at 1-3, just pulled the insane hitting back half a notch, and thanks to that, the range returned, the shots started to fall in, Halep struggled to cope and all the calmness of the Romanian turned into nervousness.
Jelena Ostapenko on her way to the French Open title on Saturday.
Ostapenko set the tone immediately, disguising any nerves with an array of bruising groundstrokes to break Halep in the opening game. Ostapenko held, Halep held and then Halep managed to break Ostapenko to take a crucial 3-1 lead. But Halep broke right back, and then took the set with a break in the final game.
Halep won the opening set 6-4.
Many would have felt destiny was on Halep's side when she herself pulled off a massive comeback in the quarterfinals, coming back from a set and 5-1 down and saving a match point against Elina Svitolina.
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