Jelena Ostapenko / Iga Swiatek - (Photo Credit : Skysports)
Iga Swiatek’s attempt to defend her U.S. Open tennis title came to an end with a loss to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. Ostapenko won the match with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday night.
This loss also means that Swiatek will no longer be the number-one player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. Next week, Aryna Sabalenka, currently ranked second, will take the top spot for the first time.
Match Analysis: Ostapenko’s Victory Over Swiatek
Swiatek had trouble hitting her shots accurately, and she struggled to handle Ostapenko’s powerful shots. Ostapenko, seeded 20th, had previously won the 2017 French Open.
Ostapenko explained her strategy: “I knew I had to be aggressive because that’s not Swiatek’s preferred style of play.” She hit 31 winners compared to Swiatek’s 18.
This outcome wasn’t entirely unexpected, given their past encounters. Ostapenko now has a 4-0 record against Swiatek in their career matchups. No other player has defeated Swiatek four times since she became the top-ranked player in the WTA in April 2022.
Ostapenko commented, “I was determined to play my best until the end.” Ostapenko didn’t give Swiatek many opportunities to come back into the match.
In the second set, Ostapenko had a strong start, leading 4-1, but she briefly faltered, allowing Swiatek to break back and narrow the score to 4-3. However, Ostapenko quickly regained control, winning seven consecutive games to take a 5-0 lead in the third set.
Ostapenko broke Swiatek’s serve one last time to secure the victory, winning seven out of Swiatek’s 13 service games throughout the match.
Ostapenko’s Next Challenge: Facing Gauff
Ostapenko’s next match in her first quarterfinal at the U.S. Open will be against Coco Gauff, a 19-year-old American who defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 earlier on Sunday.
Ostapenko and Gauff have faced each other twice before, with one win each. Their most recent encounter was in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January, which Ostapenko won.
Expectations for the Next Match
Ostapenko expects a tough match against Gauff. She said, “Coco is a great young player, and I expect another tough match. Grand Slam matches are always challenging.”
Source: AP
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