Ostapenko, Really? Yeah Really

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While it may come as a surprise that 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko is in the finals of Roland Garros, by way of today’s three set win over Timea Bacsinszky, the young Latvian has shown consistent career results in the glamour events.

Ostapenko won the 2014 Wimbledon junior event. In 2015 she beat no. 9 seed Carla Saurez Navarro at Wimbledon, losing only two games.

Last year the bubbly teen continued her gradual ascent by reaching the semifinals of the Wimbledon mixed doubles with partner Olivier Marach (lost to Kontinen and Watson the eventual champions).

Also in 2016 at Aegon, Ostapenko beat Petra Kvitova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

This year Ostapenko began working with two time Roland Garros doubles champ Anna Medina Garrigues and the partnership paid quick dividends. Ostapenko made the third round in Melbourne and served for the match vs Karolina Pliskova but lost in three sets.

She rebounded to win the St Petersburg doubles title with Rosolska.

The best singles result of Ostapenko’s career came in April in Charleston where she beat Wozniacki and Lucic Baroni to make the finals where she lost to Daria Kasatkina. This effort placed Ostapenko into the WTA top fifty.

In Paris Ostapenko has rolled all the way to the final and is just one win away from making tennis history as the first Latvian to win a Grand Slam singles title (Larisa Savchenko Neiland won the French Open and Wimbledon in 1989 and 1991 and represented Latvia though she was born in Ukraine).

 

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Halep had more clay all over her body and clothes and it was even on the back of her neck! Halep did a lot of running and stretching and reaching all day chasing down Pliskova's bullets and it will only be harder work on Saturday. Ostapenko is right on that level of Pliskova (nearly beat her in Oz) and probably more confident though you have to wonder how nerves will affect her in her first GS final? Fascinating duel between the fearless youngster and the overdue veteran.

 

[AnonymousFan]

I wonder how heavily Halep is going to be favored. I can't remember anyone this young to make the final since Wozniacki.

 

[10isfan]

How will Ostapenko handle the situation?

If she takes the "nothing to lose" attitude as the lower ranked player, she can win. If she succumbs to nerves that come with the novelty of playing her first slam final, she will lose. The outcome is on her racket.

I'm hoping Halep wins the title. She won't get many chances to win a slam. Ostapenko being a young, offensive player will have multiple opportunities.

 

[Moxie]

How will Ostapenko handle the situation?

If she takes the "nothing to lose" attitude as the lower ranked player, she can win. If she succumbs to nerves that come with the novelty of playing her first slam final, she will lose. The outcome is on her racket.

I'm hoping Halep wins the title. She won't get many chances to win a slam. Ostapenko being a young, offensive player will have multiple opportunities.

A fearless young player is a dangerous thing. I like both players. I'm inclined for Simona, for the same reasons as you. Then you add Darren Cahill in the mix, and his tough love approach with her recently, that tips me rather over to her side. But the kid has a new fan in me.

 

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Ostapenko is a scary player with all that power and that carefree smile and joy. Halep is a machine right now and it seems it's her time and she won't be denied. But if Ostapenko hits a couple of rope winners and line kissers and Halep suddenly loses the first two deuce games to be down 0-2 everything can change. Like I said this is such a fascinating duel.

 

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Chazz; it could not be more interesting of a final. The most talented WTA player who has not won a major vs Miss Shock the World. Pliskova is a great player and a nice person but she is very dull to watch. She plays every single point the same way. What does she need a coach for? Carillo was trying to make her seem so cerebral during the NBC telecast but her game is about as one dimensional as they come.

 

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Pliskova had a nice run this year in Roland Garros after doing nothing previously in her career on clay so you would have to presume she can win a major on clay. She easily could have won today if Halep did not have her A plus game. To me Pliskova is too robotic and stoic like Raonic. Both of these players need to express more emotion and desire not suppress it.

 

[AnonymousFan]

To me Pliskova is too robotic and stoic like Raonic.

I feel the same way. Man, CoCo's run was entertaining during AO.

 

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Coco is definitely one of the best characters in pro tennis right now and we need more Cocos, Anonymous Fan. I hope Pliskova can become more expressive and outwardly tenacious like Kvitova. It could make such a difference in her results. Stoicism is nice but it does not win majors anymore.

 

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Duke; Fritz has definitely fallen backwards in the last half year and his once bright future suddenly looks hazy.

 

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The root of this great Sandgren run was th 76 in the third win vs Opelka in the first round of the Sarasota Challenger - what a fantastic win that was for Sandgren. I was lucky to witness this career changing win.

 

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Andrew; Ostapenko needs as Army to compare to Genie May I appoint you as lieutenant general of Ostapenko's Army?

 

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Two Americans in the mens doubles finals and two American juniors in the girls final - Whitney Osigwuie vs Claire Liu, US Tennis is becoming a force on red clay.

 

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Stan looks unbeatable when he's at his highest level he makes everyone look helpless. Stan at his best his very best may be GOAT.

 

[AnonymousFan]

Duke; Fritz has definitely fallen backwards in the last half year and his once bright future suddenly looks hazy.

Ah, name sounds familiar. El Dude used to (still does?) mention him as the young USA hopeful.

 

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Rafa totally destroyd poor Thiem who got off to a good start but could not convert his early chances and really should have been up a break or two in first set but was down 1-3 instead. THiem just could never get comfortable and that's due to Rafa's fine play. Again it looks like Stan is playing incredible and I think will win but Rafa just finds a way to negate this heavy hitters. Still I expect a much more formidable threat by Stan on Sunday and Rafa will have to be at his very best to subdue this Swiss beast.

 

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I think Stan will be extra motivated also because of Rafa's perceived fake injury after losing the first set in the Aus Open final which really put a weird damper on the whole match after the first set which showcased some of Stan's greatest tennis. Actually up to that point of his career it was probably the best tennis Stan had ever played. I think Stan will be extra inspired to show Rafa his very best tennis.

 

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Well that is a surprise that Raonic has split with Krajicek I would guess no chemistry. Or Raonic feels he is ready to win Wimbledon without any help.

 

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Catherine; these press conferences result in a ton of press around the world as just about all the big dailies and web sites will run stories with the quotes. These press conferences serve as excellent promotion though the actual quotes are usually pretty bland.