For Ostapenko, Linz Is Home Away From Home — No Matter the Surface

Jelena Ostapenko doesn’t care what the surface is — she simply loves playing in Linz. The World No. 23 has won a title and reached a final in her three previous trips to the Austrian city, when the event was played on indoor hard courts.

This year it’s on clay, and she’s liking the vibes at the newly minted 500-level event.

“I have great memories from here,” she told the crowd.

Ostapenko took out Alexandra Eala on Wednesday, 6-4, 7-5, to improve to 9-2 lifetime in Linz, as she earned her first win in three tries against the hard-charging southpaw.

“When I saw the draw, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a tough second round for me,’” she said. “She’s a great player. This year, some good things are happening. I’m beating players that I have never beaten before, so it means I’m on the right path.”

The right way for Ostapenko turned out to be one way — hard and hardest. She clocked 41 winners to just nine for Eala, defeating the 20-year-old for the first time in three meetings.

She rallied from 4-2 down in the opening set, taking the final four games, then pulled another trick out of her hat in set two, climbing back from 4-0 down to finish off the Filipina sensation in straight sets.

Ostapenko converted six of her nine break-point opportunities to move on to face Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the quarterfinals.

“I was down in the second set, and I told myself, ‘Okay, I’m gonna fight. I will do everything possible. I will fight till the end of the set, and if there is a third set, it’s fine — I still have another chance,’” she said. “I think it worked pretty well. I started to play my game and I didn’t give her a lot of chances.”

Ostapenko said that when she heard the tournament was moving to clay, she was excited.

“Honestly, super happy, super excited. I was like, ‘Wow, clay, I love it,’” she said. “It’s even better. I think it’s great, especially before Stuttgart — there’s another clay-court tournament, because the clay season is super short. Since I won the French Open, I enjoy playing on clay so much. So it’s another opportunity, and in a great place.”

The 2017 Roland Garros champion has only recently started her clay-court practice, but she already looks comfortable on the crushed red surface.

“Today was my third day on clay, so I’m doing pretty okay, I guess,” she said.

Andreeva Defeats Stephens in Linz Debut

Mirra Andreeva, playing her first match on clay since Roland-Garros, and won decisively over former Roland-Garros finalist Sloane Stephens, 6-4, 6-2.

“It was a tricky match, obviously she’s a Grand Slam champion, and she has that experience,” Andreeva said. “Super happy that I got through this match, I felt like I really didn’t have the rhythm after 5-1 in the first set, so I’m happy that I stayed calm, played my game and won the match.”

Andreeva will face either Dalma Galfi or Sorana Cirstea in the quarterfinals.