Jelena Ostapenko's return game stuns Johanna Konta in straight sets

Jelena Ostapenko clenches her first during her first-round match late against Johanna Konta at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia Tuesday. 

Jelena Ostapenko was too much for the competition at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia late Tuesday night. The message was made clear to the draw as she blasted away at Johanna Konta winning 6-3, 6-1 on center court at the Foro Italico. The former French Open champion scored 24 winners and four aces against the Brit to move on in the eternal city. 

This marked the sixth time they met and the second to come at the Foro Italico. Three years ago, they went three sets with one another with Ostapenko taking home the lone win on clay. While Konta has the series lead with her, the Brit logged in very little time on the current surface. She recorded four sets while her opponent already had nine with two wins under her belt. As the French Open looms close, the former champion of that slam hoped to warm up well and take control of the British number one. 

She dug in well against Konta to force deuce and take the opening break. In the second, Ostapenko had a 40-0 run before committing her first double fault. Despite the hiccup, the Latvian got through her service scoring a crosscourt winner. She increased her high performance of returning Konta’s serve, earning her a double break for a 3-0 lead. Konta knew that she couldn’t let the slide continue and produced a fight on Ostapenko’s service game. Getting into place for the breakpoint, the Brit pressured her opponent to strike out an error and take the fourth. 

She backed up the win with a hold of serve in the fifth, but her balance was not quite level. Ostapenko regained her two-game lead in the sixth, still capable of threatening the 16^th seed. Konta stepped up her offense coming through with another hold of serve to stay in touch with the Latvian. The 23-year-old held up her end on serve, scoring a big placement in the eighth for the chance to go for the set. Her return game was back to wreck the Brit, who went down swinging on a triple set point winner ending 34 minutes of play. 

Ostapenko recorded 10 winners along with the three aces she managed to compile. Though she served less from the first serve which Konta excelled, the intensity was key to her dictation. Not wanting the opportunity to sit down and rest, Ostapenko stayed on the court, preparing to keep her pace. She held comfortably in the first, taking just two minutes to do so against the 16^th seed. 

Konta felt the pressure before her service began in the second and during it, the British number one fought through six points, saving a breakpoint for Ostapenko. They were at deuce where she produced a chance for herself but lost it putting back on the defense. The 23-year-old broke Konta down with three more breakpoints to push forward. The Latvian had a grip after three where she allowed Konta a single point before consolidating. 

The British number one was running out of ideas on how to counter Ostapenko, who remained firm with her returns, beating down Konta at every chance she got. With a 4-0 stand, Konta caught a break on a double fault from the Latvian that opened the door for a game-winner. Despite stopping Ostapenko in her tracks, Konta struggled to better her game on serve. She continued to face the strong return game of the Latvian, who took a 5-1 break win. 

Serving for the match, Ostapenko focused her shots on one side of the court scoring first. She placed a line drive that nailed the line, following it up with a crosscourt winner for three match points. The 23-year-old put Konta away for the night, scoring on a crosscourt shot that forced the final error to end one hour and eight minutes.