Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko (right) and Romania's Simona Halep pose for photographs with their trophies after the French Open match at Roland Garros, Paris, June 10, 2017. Ostapenko denied Halep not only a first Slam title but also the world No. 1 ranking.
Ostapenko began her final push, reaching 5-3, and scored the biggest win of her career a game later with an untouchable victor on match point. "I didn't say that I'm favourite before the match, because you never know with players, young players, and players like this, playing very hard and hitting all the balls".
The last player to win their debut title at Roland-Garros was Gustavo Kuerten on June 8, 1997... "There are no words".
The French Open, she added, was always the major she dreamed of winning, from the time she strolled around the grounds as a 12-year-old and taking in the history at the museum.
Ostapenko is also the first unseeded player to win the women's singles title at Roland Garros in the Open era and the youngest victor of the French Open for two decades, aged just 20.
She was 3-1 down in the second and third sets but kept coming back with her no-fear hitting. I think more about the game, and I play smarter, in my opinion, and also physically. But also in the deciding moments, I think I played pretty well.
"Sometimes I felt like a spectator", the defeated third seed told a news conference. "I'm glad it finished my way", said Ostapenko, who finished the tournament with 299 winners. She, thus, became the first ever Lativian to become a Grand Slam victor. Keep it going because you are only a kid.
But Ostapenko then got broken just as rapidly in the next game.
US Pressed to Pursue Deal to Freeze North Korea Missile Tests
South Korea said the women defected on their own, while North Korea claimed they were deceived and abducted to the South. Through statements on KCNA , North Korea said it dealt with him according to its domestic laws and global standards.
Plus, one must marvel at her tenacity and ability to come from behind.
Until Roland Garros, Ostapenko was best known outside of Latvia as a racquet-throwing villain after an incident in Auckland in January, when she nearly hit a ball boy.
Her "live by the sword, die by the sword" approach worked wonders when she was 3-1 down in both the second and 3rd sets.
The Latvian pulled on level terms at 3-3 and then went ahead with a break thanks to a massive stroke of fortune when her backhand, which was going to land at least a foot wide, caught the net and dropped dead the other side. I was happy to win but I think you will win it one day and wish you all the best for the season.
In fact, the Latvian started where she left off during her semi-final against the experienced Swiss Timea Bacsinszky, reeling off winners that had the crowd cheering their approval.
"Tennis is not popular in our country because it's a kind of expensive sport", said Ostapenko, who will crack the top 20 after her breakout display in Paris.
Finally, it was Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko who reached the finals.
Comments