September 04, (THEWILL) – Jelena Ostapenko produced a sensational performance to defeat world number one, Iga Swiatek, 3-6 6-3 6-1 and advance to the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday.
The Latvian came back after losing the first set to win 12 of the last 15 games against the defending champion. Ostapenko hit 31 winners and kept her unforced errors down to 20 to overcome Swiatek, who made 18 unforced errors.
“I just went on court and I had to play aggressively because that’s what she doesn’t really like. In the third set, I stepped more on the court and I was serving better,” Ostapenko said after her win.
With the loss, Swiatek will be overtaken by Aryna Sabalenka as world number one when the new rankings are released after the tournament on September 11. Sabalenka is yet to drop a set and will face Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals.
Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, will now play American teenager, Coco Gauff, for a place in the semi-finals. The winner of that match will play either Sorana Cirstea or Karolina Muchova.
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.
