June 25, (THEWILL) – Jelena Ostapenko emerged victorious at the Birmingham Classic, clinching her first title of the season in an intense battle against Barbora Krejcikova.
The Latvian, seeded second, overcame her Czech opponent, who held the top seed, 7-6(8) 6-4 to lift the trophy. Ostapenko’s relentless power proved instrumental in her victory, as she dominated the tie-break in the opening set. Although Krejcikova made a valiant effort to stage a comeback, it was ultimately insufficient to counter Ostapenko’s prowess.
In the second set, Ostapenko established a commanding 5-1 lead, momentarily challenged when Krejcikova narrowed the gap to 5-4, but the Latvian held her serve to clinch the win. The intense clash between Ostapenko and Krejcikova extended over nearly two hours, with both players vying not only for the title and ranking points but also to fine-tune their form ahead of the upcoming Wimbledon tournament on grass.
Ostapenko’s triumph marks her sixth career title and the first of the season, following her previous success in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2022. While the Latvian’s victory on grass dates back two years to her win in Eastbourne, Krejcikova’s impressive performance in Birmingham propelled her back into the top 10 rankings.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
