Bacsinszky’s scouting report on Ostapenko, a pal she played doubles with a year ago? “I created myself some opportunities, but on the other side of the net she was playing quite well, and she was defending very well everything I was proposing”. “However, it’s going to be a tough match and I have to be ready for it”, said Ostapenko yesterday.
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“But I can feel that I’m in the same position”. “As you see him again so much as a favorite, you can predict three or four more titles, at least”. “It probably helps me to win today”. “After that I’ve won so many matches on the clay”.
Celebrating her 20th birthday on the same day opponent and friend Timea Bacsinszky turned 28, Ostapenko swept into the title match, 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3.
Ostapenko is the first unseeded player to reach the women’s singles final at Roland Garros since Mima Jausovec lost to Chris Evert in 1983.
“He actually called my mum”. “You know, I’m the odd one out in the semis”. “That means a lot already”.
Speaking about it in an interview to the AFP she said,”When I came here, of course I didn’t expect I would be in the final”, said Ostapenko.
When her coach, Anabel Medina Garrigues, visited Ostapenko in Riga, she went to watch a dance lesson. Her grit was on display in the quarterfinal when she defeated Elina Svitolina despite trailing a set and 5-1. Coming into this event she had never been beyond the third round at any of the grand slams.
Having shaken off that knock, however, Halep has been in fine form in the French capital, sailing into the last eight before toughing it out against Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova to reach the showpiece.
The world No. 4 previously reached the finals at Roland Garros in 2014.
1 Only one Romanian woman has won Roland Garros.
The commentators before the match said “Halep has the look of someone who desperately wants to win”. I think more about the game, and I play smarter, in my opinion, and also physically.
“I always say that I play well with the pressure, but now I don’t need it”.
Breaks were becoming the theme of the set and Ostapenko secured what appeared to be the critical one in the eleventh game only to see Bacsinszky peg her back while serving for the set to head into a tiebreaker. Although Halep has more professional experience than Ostapenko, Saturday will be just the second Grand Slam finals of Halep’s career. I think more about the game, and I play smarter, in my opinion, and also physically.
“I’m really happy to be in the final, especially on my birthday”. I’m thinking just that it’s a normal match. I’m of course happy, but I’m not that excited. The last player to win their debut title at Roland Garros was Gustavo Kuerten, who lifted the trophy the day the Latvian was born.
All of her big hitting with a racket that has a white ribbon attached to the frame for good luck gave Garcia fits: The last French player in the tournament made an eye-catching 31 unforced errors, to Pliskova’s 13. She’s unseeded and ranked No. 47, but won’t be for much longer, she will leap into the Top 20 soon.
Afterwards, Halep would tell reporters at her post match conference: “I’m not finished”.
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Halep’s defensive skills make her one of the top players on the red dirt – the slowest surface. Even if she loses to Ostapenko, Halep will earn enough points to move up to No. 2.
