The now No. 11 Jelena Ostapenko finally play top to the bottom, and even that, she can smash it into the corners. In the final, the once 2017 Roland Garros champ beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-3 pretty easily, without so many error, which she has done it many times. But when she is more consistent, and to mix it up more, then she can be much more controlling.
The Latvia has won “just” one Grand Slam, but she has also gone deep in the events, so maybe she can do it again.
At the WTA 500 tournament in Upper Austria Ladies Linz, she was totally thrilled.
“It was a really good week, and I felt like every match I was playing better and better,” Ostapenko said. “It’s really amazing to win two singles trophies this year already (she won at Adelaide), and winning a doubles trophy as well, [and] playing Australian Open [in the doubles with Lyudmyla Kichenok] final — it’s like four tournaments and four finals, which is really great. I’m just happy with the way I’m playing this year. I think I feel like I’m more mature and more confident with my game, so it even motivates me more to work hard and get back to the Top 10.”
Yes she will, very soon, or maybe not. Last year, Ostapenko did win Birmingham in June, and at the 2023 Australian Open, in the fourth round, she beat Coco Gauff before she lost against Elena Rybakina. On the day, she can play marvelous, almost stunning against the current No. 1, Iga Swiatek at the 2023 U.S. Open. After that, though, Gauff overwhelmed her. Ostapenko did not much after that in the fall, so now she must have been more thoughtful.
Back to Upper Austria Ladies Linz, Alexandrova is up and down, terrific and lousy, too. She is aggressive, but then she can backs off. However, she has had a fine year, beating Elena Rybakina in Australia, and then last week, she took down Anastasia Potapova, and in the semis agains Donna Vekic, she stood in there, but it took forever, winning 5-7 7-6(4) 7-6(6). She must have been exhausted in the final.
The Russian veteran has not been very good at the Slams last year, but at least she won the ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands in June, on the grass. She also really likes to play on the hardcourts, and her backhand can be so solid, and she can return into the corners, too.
However, she has never reached into the quarters at the Slams, so this year, she can do something different.
NOTES
On Upper Austria Day, the now retired and one Slam winner Ana Ivanovic was honored in the front of the crowds. Her good friend and a fine player, Barbara Schett, was there….
That was new, when the young Russian, Diana Shnaider, won the Thailand Open beating Zhu Linz 6-3, 2-6, 6-1…
In Montpellier, in France, Alexander Bublik beat Borna Coric 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. He finally did it, so now in the third set he can let go and really turn it on…
The U.S. men just started in the Dallas Open. There are a lot of many Americans who are playing such as Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Christopher Eubanks. The winner will be?