October Chris Oddo 10/04/2017

Jelena Ostapenko is Singapore Bound

20-year-old Latvian and 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko is going to Singapore for the first time. The World No. 8 clinched her spot at this year’s WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Samantha Stosur at the China Open in Beijing.The victory was Ostapenko’s 40th of the season. She is the 7th player to qualify for the WTA’s season-ending championships, and the first to ever qualify from Latvia. According to WTA Insider, Ostapenko is the youngest player to qualify for the WTA Finals field since 2010.

Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko has qualified for the #WTAFinals! pic.twitter.com/Gohfw5ngH0
— WTA Finals Singapore (@WTAFinalsSG) October 4, 2017

Ostapenko will face China’s Peng Shuai in the third round at Beijing. The race for the eighth and final spot continued on Wednesday as Caroline Garcia notched a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Elise Mertens to reach the third round. Garcia needs to reach at least the semifinals to stay in contention for Singapore.Australia’s Ashleigh Barty was knocked out of contention when she fell to Elina Svitolina in straight sets. Great Britain’s Johanna Konta is still in the lead for the eighth and final Singapore spot but she is already out of Beijing and will not play again until Moscow on October 16.Elina Vesnina of Russia is the only other player with a chance to qualify, but she will need to win the title at Beijing to stay in the hunt. Vesnina will face Elina Svitolina in third-round action at Beijing. ]]>