Ostapenko rolls at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship

Jelena Ostapenko had another comfortable match that pressed her forward at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Tuesday. The champion from last year, dispatched Linda Fruhvirtova in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 on Court Three at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The Latvian had her offense under control to keep her defense of the title alive.

The Latvian got the perfect matchup against Zavatska, beating her in straight sets to overshadow a 2019 loss to the Ukrainian. The defending champion found Fruhvirtova, who took down Danielle Collins 6-3, 6-4 in her first appearance in the draw. The Czech had a much larger obstacle in her way, knowing that a lot had to go wrong for the upset. Ostapenko’s return game was mid-successful in her opening round, despite recording eight aces. The pressure sat with the world number 20, who had a lot to prove to herself that she could potentially go back-to-back in Dubai.

Ostapenko broke Fruhvirtova in the opening game, due to a pair of double faults by the Czech. She recovered with a break back, holding serve in the third to consolidate against the defending champion. Ostapenko went to work in the fourth, putting together a strategy that pushed her forward through the remainder of the match. After holding the fourth, the Latvian watched Fruhvirtova suffer another double fault that broke her service.

Ostapenko held the Czech to a point in the sixth and broke her in the seventh on Fruhvirtova’s fourth double fault. It was smooth sailing for the Latvian, who held Fruhvirtova back a point to earn the first set in 31 minutes. She committed just one double fault, winning 71 percent on points from the first serve. Fruhvirtova’s second serve was nearly non-existent, scoring just one point out of 11 attempts.

Her attempts to get out of trouble were no match for the 25-year-old, who dictated a break to open the second set. She held Fruhvirtova to just two points through four games straight, achieving the double break. In the fifth, Ostapenko allowed her opponent one for the triple break before closing out the match on her terms. The Latvian coasted to victory, earning the bagel to secure her spot in the round of 16, taking 56 minutes to accomplish.