By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, June 8, 2017
Dancing and tennis are Jelena Ostapenko’s passions that propelled her in a coming of age performance today.
Rocking back and forth in a predatory return position, Ostapenko celebrated her 20th birthday in style high-stepping her way into the Roland Garros final.
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A fearless 47th-ranked Ostapenko overpowered Timea Bacsinszky, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, barging into the Roland Garros final in just her eighth Grand Slam appearance.
Dancing boldly inside the baseline, Ostapenko slugged 50 winners and broke serve eight times becoming the first Latvian to reach a Grand Slam final.
The crowd seranaded Ostapenko with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" while she beamed as the youngest French Open finalist since a 19-year-old Ana Ivanovic a decade earlier.
The birthday girl rode brave baseline drives and fierce swing volleys becoming the first unseeded French Open finalist in the Open Era since Mima Jausovec fell to Chrissie Evert in 1983.
“I was expecting to play as I can—just to play my game and enjoy my time here,” Ostapenko told Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim afterward. “It’s amazing to be here in Paris and to be playing. The crowd here is amazing.
Playing for her first career title, Ostapenko will face 2014 French Open finalist Simona Halep in Saturday's final.
The third-seeded Halep fought off 2016 US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
It will be the first meeting between Osapenko and Halep, who can clinch the world No. 1 ranking by taking the title. Halep would be the 23rd woman and first Romanian to rise to the top spot.
“I’m already in the final there are two great players,” said Ostapenko, the youngest major finalist since a 19-year-old Caroline Wozniacki lost to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 US Open title match. “I’m just going to go out there and enjoy the mach. It’s really nice. I play today and especially I won—it’s great to celebrate the birthday this way.”
A birthday bash clash pitted first-time Slam semifinalist Ostapenko against Bacsinszky, who commemorated her 28th birthday, contesting her second Roland Garros semifinal in the last three years.
“Lucky her, she’s way younger than I am,” Bacsinszky said with a smile before the match.
The fearless strikes Ostapenko unloaded during her quarterfinal comeback conquest of former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki were on display from the outset.
Swinging as if launching herself out of her Adidas, Ostapenko moved with urgency and swung with menacing intent often pushing the veteran behind the baseline. Smooth footwork and exeptional balance, perhaps honed from all those years dancing, give Ostapenko's ground game a strong base and infuse her with the confidence to flirt with the lines at times.
Armed with a 14-2 record in her last 16 Roland Garros matches, Bacsinszky countered with court craft and variety.
Angling off a soft drop shot, Bacsinszky drew the baseliner forward where Ostapenko whacked a reply wide ending a six-minute game with Bacsinszky breaking for 2-0.
Power, particularly off her jolting forehand, is an Ostapenko asset she applied banging a return right back at the Swiss’ feet to break back in the third game.
A facility for changing the pace and creating angles helped Bacsinszky move her younger opponent—and withstand a pair of break points in the fifth game. Ostapenko blasted a forehand crosscourt then swooped in for a Monica Seles-style backhand swing volley that barely missed the mark as Bacsinszky hung out to hold for 3-2.
Playing with poise in just her eighth Grand Slam appearance, Ostapenko fended off break points in the sixth game. Despite some sub 70 mph serves, Ostapenko fought back from 15-40 to level.
A vicious flat forehand return down the line gave Ostapenko double break point. Launching her body into the ball, she tattooed her two-hander down the line breaking for 4-3.
At that point, Bacsinszky called for the trainer for treatment of an apparent right leg injury.
After about a six-and-a-half minute break play resumed. Ostapenko’s first double fault put her in a double break point bind. Playing with taping around her right thigh, Bacsinszky broke right back to even after eight games.
The break seemed to spark Bacsinszky, who planted her third ace in the corner for 5-4.
Opening the 11th game with a sweeping forehand swing volley, Ostapenko scrambled up to a short ball and rifled a forehand crosscourt for double break point. Bacsinszky showed exceptional feel lofting a lob winner to save the first break but was frozen by Ostapenko’s forehand laser down the line.
The Latvian broke with a shout only to see her former doubles partner break right back—the sixth break of the set—with a tricky slice forehand to force the tie break.
Lashing an inside out forehand, Bacsinszky evened the breaker at 3-all at the one hour mark.
Then Ostapenko gained her groove and hit her way to a one set lead with some audacious shotmaking.
Successive backhand winners preceded an 84 mph forehand she lacerated down the line for three set points.
On her second set point, Ostapenko burst forward and buried a backhand drive volley ending a 63-minute set in which she ripped 21 winners compared to 14 for the Swiss. The Ostapenko forehand was the biggest shot on the court producing nine winners.
The pair traded breaks to start the second before Ostapenko went into crush mode again cruising through a love hold for 2-1.
Bouncing up and down between points to elevate her energy, Bacsinszky battled back from 40-love down drawing a netted forehand breaking for 4-3.
Shrewd use of touch in the wind and sheer defensive determination helped Bacsinszky back up the break. Ostapenko hammered drives throughout the eighth game, but Bacsinszky repeatedly dug replies out of the dirt forcing one more shot and coaxing a swing volley into net. An exasperated Ostapenko dropped her racquet and the lost opportunity.
A skittish Ostapenko double faulted to end the second set on a four-game slide.
Three straight breaks started the final set continuing a trend with the returner winning five of the prior six games.
Holding her nerve through an eventful eight-minute game, Ostapenko continued cracking drives from inside the baseline backing up the break for 3-1.
A feisty Bacsinszky drew even at 3-all but every time the Swiss made a move, Ostapenko answered with a bold reply punishing a forehand to break back for 4-3. Stamping a love hold, Ostapenko extend the lead to 5-3.
On her second match point, Ostapenko crunched a forehand down the line ending a composed two hour, 24-minute victory with an embrace at net.
No unseeded woman has won Roland Garros in the Open Era.
Ostapenko, who favored the samba during her dancing days, will try to slide into history on Saturday.