Definitely, Jelena Ostapenko is Iga Swiatek’s nightmare. On Sunday, the Latvian, 21st in the world at 26, eliminated the 22-year-old Pole in the round of 16 of the US Open, in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-1). It is the fourth victory in four games for the 2017 Roland-Garros winner against Swiatek, who will lose her place as world number 1 in favor of Aryna Sabalenka. The 25-year-old Belarusian will ascend the throne next Monday for the first time in her career.
Follower of a very risky game, Ostapenko, who had never exceeded the 3rd round in New York, not only controlled the power of Swiatek, but she even took speed.
Ostapenko – Gauff in the quarter-finals
“I knew it would be tough, but I also knew I had to play my game and be aggressive because she doesn’t like it,” she commented. The Latvian will challenge in the quarterfinals the American Coco Gauff (6th in the world), who ended the career of the comeback Caroline Wozniacki (33 years old) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
The other quarter-final at the top of the table will pit the Czech Karolina Muchova (10th), finalist of the last Roland-Garros, against the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (30th). The first having beaten the Chinese Xinyu Wang (53rd), 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and the second having won against the Swiss Belinda Bencic (13th), 6-3, 6-3.