October 13, (THEWILL) – Jelena Ostapenko eliminated number two seed Iga Swiatek from the BNP Paribas Open less than 24 hours after top seed Karolina Pliskova was upset by Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia.
In the fourth-round match between two former French Open winners, Ostapenko battled back from a break down in each set to win 6-4, 6-3 and advance to the quarter-final.
In 93 minutes, the ultra-aggressive Ostapenko hit 25 winners to 21 unforced errors, broke Swiatek four times, and served just one double fault.
Ostapenko increased her head-to-head record against Swiatek to 2-0 with the win after a 6-0, 6-2 triumph on grass in Birmingham in 2019.
Fans in attendance in Stadium 3 would have expected a more competitive finish this time around, and got what they wanted.
The Latvian fell behind 4-3 in the first set and 3-1 in the second, but rallied to win both sets to advance to her fourth quarter-final of the season.
Ostapenko will face either number 23 seed Leylah Fernandez or American Shelby Rogers, who both competed well into the second week of the year’s final Grand Slam.
“I knew it was going to be a very tough match because she’s such a great player, she won a Grand Slam and she’s playing great tennis,” Ostapenko said.
“I really came with a strong mentality to this match. I knew I had to fight for every point, be aggressive and I think I did that pretty well today.
“I just knew that I have a good return and was playing well in deciding moments,” Ostapenko said of her ability to turn around each set. “I just tried to serve better because it was a little bit windy and cooler today, so different conditions to my last match [on Sunday], and I needed some time to adjust,” she added.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
