Venus Williams battled past this year’s Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-7(3-7), 7-5, at the WTA Finals in Singapore.
The 37-year-old has revived her chances of progressing to the semifinals following her loss earlier in the week to Karoline Pliaskova. Improving to 1-1 in the White Group, Williams survived a three-hour and 13 minute marathon match which featured 44 break points and 15 breaks of serve. Making it the third longest WTA FInals match.
“A win is a win. That’s all I can say.” The seven-time grand slam champion said during her brief press confrence.
Williams made a double fault in the first game, but she rallied from 0-30 down to earn a game point. She made two consecutive errors to face an early break point. Ostapenko converted her break point chance to take a 1-0 lead with a forehand return winner on her second serve. Williams broke straight back at 15 after Ostapenko made a double fault on her break point. In the third game Venus saved two break points at 15-40 to hold her serve. Ostapenko held her first service game for 2-2 before hitting a series of winners in the fifth game to break Venus for 3-2. Venus broke straight back to tie 3-3 after Ostapenko double faulted at 30-40. Ostapenko hit a backhand winner to get her third break of the first set for 4-3 and consolidated the break for the first time in the set in the eighth game to open up a 5-3. The 20-year-old Latvian player dropped her serve, as she was serving out the set in the 10th game. Williams had a tough hold in the 11th game for 6-5 before sealing the first set with another break, after Ostapenko missed on a game point at 40-30. The US legend fought back from 3-5 down by winning four consecutive games to take the first set 7-5 after nearly one hour.
Ostapenko earned four game points but did not convert them in the second game of the second set. Williams brought up one break point and converted it to win her sixth consecutive game from 3-5 in the first set. Ostapenko hit a backhand winner into the corner to get the break back in the third game and held serve to draw level to 2-2. The Latvian player fired a series of forehand winners to get another break. After losing six consecutive games Ostapenko won three consecutive games to take a break lead for 3-2. Venus broke back to 15 and held serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. In the 10th game Williams earned a match point at 5-4 on Ostapenko’s serve. The Latvian saved it before holding serve to draw level to 5-5.
In the 11th game the 20-year-old Latvian player broke at 30 with a return winner but she failed to serve out the set in the 12th game, as Williams broke serve to 30. Ostapenko dropped just three points in the tie-break to force the match to the third set after Williams made two double faults and netted a slice on the first set point at 6-3.
Ostapenko trailed 0-40 in the first game of the decisive set but managed to save five break points to hold serve for 1-0. In the third game Ostapenko netted an easy volley at 30-15. Williams earned break points and converted her chance to take a 2-1 lead, as Ostapenko made a backhand error. ostapenko hit a passing shot to earn a break point and converted it, as Williams netted a backhand. In a streak of three consecutive breaks Ostapenko dropped her serve to trail 2-3. Ostapenko converted her fifth break point in the sixth game, as Venus netted a backhand. Venus broke again in the seventh game, as Ostapenko made her 12th double fault. Venus made two double faults to face two break points. Ostapenko broke back with a backhand winner down the line to draw level to 4-4. After a streak of six consecutive breaks Ostapenko saved three break points to hold her serve from 0-40 down in the three-deuce ninth game. Venus was under the pressure to stay in the match and played her best game to hold serve for 5-5. In the 11th game Ostapenko saved a third break point with a backhand winner but Venus converted her fourth break point. The US legend served out for the match in the 12th game to improve her record in their head-to-head matches to 2-0.
Williams hit 26 winners to 29 unforced errors. Ostapenko produced 40 winners but 48 unforced errors.
In the third round robin match Williams will face Garbine Muguruza, while Ostapenko will face Karolina Pliskova.
