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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, February 17, 2022

 
Jelena Ostapenko

Jelena Ostapenko out-dueled Petra Kvitova 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(9)—her third straight win over a major champion—to rumble into the Dubai semifinals.

Photo credit: Getty

Facing fellow major champions continues to inspire massive tenacity in Jelena Ostapenko.

The unseeded Ostapenko denied a match point in the tiebreaker outdueling 2013 champion Petra Kvitova 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(9) in a fierce two hour, 39-minute fight to reach the Dubai semifinals.

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Facing the best brings out the best in the 21st-ranked Latvian.

It is Ostapenko's third consecutive victory over a former Grand Slam champion—she swept 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, edged 2020 Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in the round of 16 and battled by two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova, who saved three match points herself—to reach her second straight semifinal following her run to the final four in St. Petersburg last week.

"She was playing really well today," said Ostapenko, after evening her head-to-head record vs. Kvitova at four wins apiece. "She was especially serving well. But, yeah, I felt like when she was down, she was playing way better than when she was leading in the score.

"I was trying just to fight and stay in the match, believe that I can win until the very last point. I mean, the tiebreak was very tricky because I had match points. I was serving, then she was serving. It was, yeah... But it was a really good match. I think the level was really high."




Extended elevation is an ongoing Ostapenko trend: the 2017 Roland Garros champion advanced to her fourth semifinal in her last seven tournaments. Ostapenko rises to No. 16 in the live rankings to return to the Top 20 for the first time since October of 2018. 

Growing in confidence and cracking her heavy drives into the corner, Ostapenko is aiming to sustain this roll and return to the Top 10.

"It's just the beginning of the season. My goal is to be in top 10, maybe even higher," Ostapenko said. "I'm not going to stop working, not going to stop, like, playing better, improving.

"I think it's just the beginning for me, like in 2017, just to rise - how you say - the ranking."



The left-handed Kvitova, who knocked off top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka yesterday, served for every set today at 5-4, but Ostapenko, one of the sport's most dangerous returners when she's in rhythm, broke in the 10th game of all three sets pushing Kvitova into pressure-packed points.

In a rollercoaster ride of a match, the 25th-ranked Kvitova rallied from 1-4 down to win six of the next seven games to snatch a one-set lead.

In the second set, Ostapenko flipped the script roaring back from a 2-4 deficit to take five of the next six games and force a final set.

Both women broke six times and Kvitova won two more total points in the match (121 to 119), but Ostapenko's courage committing to the big strike at crunch time proved pivotal.

"I mean, today I just knew I have to fight," Ostapenko said. "Both of us are real aggressive players. I know Petra can also miss some shots when she's leading or playing because I saw some of her matches where she plays really well, but of course she can make some unforced errors because she's also playing aggressive.

"I kind of was just trying to wait for that moment, show her that I'm not going to give her any free points." 

After an early exchange of breaks in the decider, Kvitova broke for 5-4 and served for the semifinal only to see Ostapenko break back at 30.

Playing from behind in the breaker, Ostapenko won four of five points blasting a big backhand return for her first match point at 6-5. Kvitova crushed a crosscourt return off a tame second serve to save it. The Czech saved a second match point with a gutsy second serve out wide then earned her match point at 8-7.

Kvitova had a good look at a backhand but missed it down the line on her lone match point. Ostapenko obliterated another crackling return for 10-9 then fired her forehand down the line—her 68th winner of the day— to close in style.

Tennis Express

The 24-year-old Ostapenko will play for a place in her 11th career final against two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep in a rematch of the 2017 Roland Garros final.

Two-time Dubai champion Halep defeated eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-3.

The 23rd-ranked Halep has not surrended a set in Dubai improving her 2022 record to 11-1, which ties world No. 1 Ash Barty and American Madison Keys for the WTA Tour lead in wins.  

Former world No. 1 Halep expects a tough test from the hard-hitting Latvian who rallied past Halep in the 2017 Roland Garros final before the Romanian's straight-sets win in Beijing.

"I feel like the last match was somewhere in Beijing and I won it," Halep said. "I cannot say that she overpowers me. I think some other players are hitting stronger.

"But she has a great game. Will be a tough challenge tomorrow and I'm ready."

Ostapenko is ready for another potentially pressure-packed three setter.

"Simona is more like a consistent player. If I play her, then of course I have to be aggressive because she's going to probably most defend against me," Ostapenko said. "Yeah, I'm just looking forward to it."

 

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