Jelena Ostapenko battles past Timea Bacsinszky into first Grand Slam final - UBITENNIS

Jelena Ostapenko battles past Timea Bacsinszky into first Grand Slam final

By Thomas Cluck
6 Min Read
Jelena Ostapenko reacts to winning a point at the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris/Zimbio/Adam Pretty

Unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko fought past tricky veteran Timea Bacsinszky 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 to move past the 30th seed into her first major final at only 20 years old at the French Open.

In an unlikely storybook semifinal at Roland Garros, birthday girls Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland looked to take the opportunity of a lifetime and reach their first Grand Slam final. On her 20th birthday, it was unseeded Ostapenko who seized the moment better, battling past 30th-seeded veteran Timea Bacsinszky 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 into her first major final at the French Open. In a high-quality encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier, Ostapenko became the first unseeded Grand Slam finalist at Roland Garros since Mima Jausovec in 1983, taking just under two and a half hours to reach the title match in Paris.

“I’m really happy with my win today and was really tough match. I think it was a battle.” Said Ostapenko.

In the first set, it was the more experienced Bacsinszky, turning 28 today, who began brighter, breaking in the first Ostapenko service game to take an early lead. Ostapenko broke straight back for 2-1 before both players began to find their groove on serve, staying on serve at 3-all. The two birthday girls exchanged breaks of serve in the seventh and eighth games of the match, before holding serve to get to 5-all. The unseeded Latvian broke the following game, playing a brilliant return game to go up 6-5 and give herself the opportunity to serve for the opening set. Looking to close out the set, Ostapenko struggled as Bacsinszky had other ideas, breaking easily to 15 to force a first set tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, it was the newly turned 20-year-old Latvian who got off to a better start, taking the early mini-break on the Swiss’ first service point before holding one of hers and snatching another mini-break off Bacsinszky to go up 3-2. The 30th-seeded veteran was able to gain one mini-break back before Ostapenko held another point on her serve, putting her up 4-3. Ostapenko’s brilliant return game continued to be the difference in the opening set tiebreak, as the first Latvian women to reach a Grand Slam semifinal took two more points off the Bacsinszky serve to go up 6-3 and give herself three set points. After a tight forehand error from the young Latvian, Ostapenko closed the opening set on her second time of asking, taking it 7-6 to move a set away from her first major final.

Jelena Ostapenko hits a forehand at the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris/Zimbio/Adam Pretty

After a high-quality opening set from both, Bacsinszky began brightly in the second, breaking easily only for Ostapenko to peg right back and level the set at 1-all. The pair split holds of serve the following four games before a key break from 40-0 down for Bacsinszky served as a turning point, giving the Swiss the break advantage at 4-3. 28-year-old Bacsinszky took care of her serve to consolidate the break before another loose service game from Ostapenko cost her the set, as Bacsinszky stormed back to take the second set 6-3 and level the match at a set all.

In the third and deciding set, the theme of breaking serve carried over into the final set as Ostapenko and Bacsinszky went back and forth breaking serve, with the Latvian breaking twice for a 2-1 lead. Ostapenko survived a marathon service game to hold for 3-1 on her sixth game point before the Swiss made a surge, holding her serve for the first time in the set before stealing the break back to level the deciding set at 3 games apiece.

Bacsinszky played a poor service game though to back the break up, surrendering the advantage back to Ostapenko to give her a 4-3 lead. The Latvian held her nerve, showing no signs of her young age to hold to love and move a game from a first Grand Slam final. Serving to stay in the match, Bacsinszky’s serve was under siege yet again from the barrage of Ostapenko’s aggressive groundstrokes, as the unseeded Latvian closed out the match on her second time of asking to move into her first Grand Slam final 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 in Paris.

“The match was really tough, I think it was a battle,” Ostapenko said following her win. “I’m really happy to be in the final, especially on my birthday. I think it’s a nice gift!
“I was just trying to stay aggressive and to go for a shot when I could. I think it was kind of important that I won the first set, even the second I lost, but in the third set I found my game again.”

Jelena Ostapenko hits a backhand at the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris/Zimbio/Adam Pretty
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