Peyton Stearns stuns Ostapenko in French Open upset

Peyton Stearns took a big victory in stride at the French Open Wednesday. The young American went the distance against Jelena Ostapenko, defeating the 2017 champion 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Court 14 at Roland Garros. It marked the second win for Stearns in Paris and the biggest one of her career.

The 2017 champion had a messy output from her offense but managed to win her opening round in straight sets. Facing the American would be no easier, as she was running hot after winning a grand slam match outside the United States. Stearns had a break against Katerina Siniakova, who was still dealing with an injury. With plenty of time on the clay courts, she had the opportunity to focus on the target that the Latvian donned, hoping to pull off an upset.

Stearns opened the match with a strong break of Ostapenko, pressing the return side that struggled early. The Latvian tried to break the American after forcing deuce, but couldn’t produce enough breakpoints. Ostapenko denied Stearns another break, holding her back from deuce in the third. The American wasn’t fazed and took the next two for a commanding 4-1 lead, with two breaks in hand.

Ostapenko attempted to change the pace, but Stearns forced deuce and played through the motions to contain her service after three breaks. The American played for the opening set, smacking fast returns across to Ostapenko, who was in position fast enough. She found depth in her court positioning, making it easier to dictate the rally, and hold serve. There were three games to recover from, leaving Stearns with plenty of chances to take the set.

Ostapenko broke the American to get back on serve and cut further into the gap, but errors during deuce in the ninth ultimately gave the American the set after 38 minutes. Ostapenko’s second serve underperformed below 30 percent, despite having 13 winners. The lag in offense allowed Stearns plenty of room to be a setup against the former champ.

The Latvian brought a cleaner game to the second set, breaking Stearns and topping the second with a beautiful service. The American responded with a shutout in the third, but despite her fight in the fourth, keeping the AD points from Ostapenko proved difficult. In the late stages, the 17th seed rallied to get out of a jam and remain ahead of Stearns. She got to 5-1, closing in on the assurance of controlling the pace and keeping the pressure on Stearns.

The 21-year-old watched the Latvian conduct herself well, achieving two set points, and taking the victory on a long return. It was a successful 29 minutes for Ostapenko, who improved phenomenally, scoring better than 70 percent on the first serve and improved return game. Ostapenko kept the unforced errors to a minimum, giving her confidence that she could handle the final set better than her opponent.

Stearns had other ideas and came out hot in the third, winning seven of the first ten points played. With the break in hand, she held Ostapenko to a point in the second, looking for a way to keep the Latvian back. The 25-year-old served Stearns to love in the third, only to see the American regain her two-game lead by the same result. She moved on to grabbing another break of Ostapenko, gaining a 4-1 grip on the set.

Stearns made it 5-1 on a fast-paced offense that ended on a well-placed return during the sixth point of play. She had the Latvian under intense pressure to stay alive in the match but managed to hold Stearns from forcing deuce in the seventh. The American had her first attempt to serve for the match but had to force deuce on serve. She was gifted a match point on a shot from Ostapenko that ended in the net. The American stayed focused and won it on a wide return from her opponent, allowing her to celebrate a major victory that took 1 hour and 42 minutes to accomplish.

Elina Svitolina shines bright with second victory at Roland Garros

Elina Svitolina celebrates a point during her second round match with Storm Hunter at the French Open. 

Elina Svitolina had her hands full but came through the second round victorious at the French Open. The Ukrainian improved to 2-0 against Australia’s Storm Hunter, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Court Simone Mathieu on the grounds of Roland Garros. It marked her eighth consecutive second-round victory and the first since 2021.

The two met three years ago in a low-ranked tournament, with the Ukrainian winning the competition. Coming back to Roland Garros for the first time since becoming a mother, Svitolina put on a performance to prove her worth in the opening round. Taking out last year’s semifinalist was a big ask, and doing so in straight sets said a lot.

Sitting on a six-match winning streak, the former world number four wanted to stay in the hunt for a maiden title. The Aussie snapped an 0-7 record at slams, going the distance in her opening match. She came from 2-4 down in the third to take the next four straight. Carrying plenty of tenacity was good for Sanders, who would see a new side of the Ukrainian.

Hunter managed to break Svitolina in the opening service, bringing up a shot to dictate early. On serve in the second, the Aussie fell behind but forced deuce that spanned five breaks. After saving three chances by Svitolina, she got into position for the AD point for a 2-0 lead. Sanders was focused and had her offense in gear, breaking Svitolina in the third. She went back to work, beating down the Ukrainian to consolidate the double break.

The 28-year found a way to serve Hunter to love in the fifth, snapping her winning streak on a statement. She tallied a second straight in the shape of a break and tested her service to see if another was in the cards. Hunter denied the former world number four a double break, pushing her margin to three games, with the door open to serve for the set. Hunter had a chance but watched Svitolina force deuce on a terrific return winner. It wasn’t enough for the Ukrainian to turn off her opponent’s momentum, as Hunter was gifted an error and a second to take the first in 39 minutes.

Hunter had her opponent beaten on points won from the first serve, producing far more winners that propelled her well. Svitolina knew she had to be consistent going forward, locking up the service to begin the second set. Hunter kept up her gameplay, holding serve smoothly in the following game.

The Aussie converted a break in the third, regaining the lead only to see her serve tested in the fourth. Svitolina threw everything she had to force deuce against the Aussie, intent on capturing the break. It took more than eight minutes to get the job done and even the score. She consolidated the break, holding serve in the fifth by keeping Hunter to a point. The Aussie suffered a break in the sixth but broke back to stay within reach of the Ukrainian going into the business end.

Svitolina took an important step forward, breaking Hunter in the eighth to serve out the set. The Ukrainian used her good foot movement and court position to dictate the rallies to bring up a set point. Svitolina smashed the ball near the net to close the second in 41 minutes. Hunter’s second serve fell apart, allowing the Ukrainian to use what she had run from her end to get her past the Aussie.

Svitolina rolled that into the deciding set, breaking Hunter and consolidating it by holding serve in the second. She scored the double break on the momentum built up to be in fine form. She continued to hold Hunter back from scoring a game in the set, taking a four game streak along with her.

Hunter snapped the losing streak in the fifth but watched her opponent remain locked in to take it all. After holding serve, Svitolina pressured the Aussie to falter, giving her a match point that came on a winner to Hunter’s left, ending a hard-fought victory in 1 hour and 49 minutes. With a place in the round of 32, the 28-year-old awaited the winner between Carolina Garcia or her Strasbourg final opponent, Anna Blinkova.

Bianca Andressscu fights to upset Victoria Azarenka at French Open

Bianca Andresscu celebrates a point during her opening match with Victoria Azarenka at the French Open. 

Bianca Andreescu put up a fight to the very end at the French Open Tuesday night. The Canadian made the opening round one to fight through every point against Victoria Azarenka to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Simone Mathieu on the grounds of Roland Garros.

The two stars met for the first time in a critical moment for both players. The former world number one did well at the Australian Open, but ever since then, struggled through the rest of the tour up to now. On the clay courts, the 33-year-old lost early in Madrid and pulled out of Rome before the third round due to injury. Her 10-5 record in opening matches at Roland Garros gave the Canadian a shot at beating the 18th seed. The 22-year-old was ready to win since her ankle injury at Miami. Andreescu suffered a number of injuries over the recent years. Being ready to go, the Canadian would give it her best to stay in the tournament.

She opened scoring by nailing winners and an ace down the T near Azarenka, who was shutout. The 18th seed struggled to play the points before watching the Canadian return one to sit on break points. Azarenka fired a crosscourt winner to save one and another on a wide return from Andreescu. The 22-year-old flopped on deuce, sending a ball directly into the umpire’s hands. She continued to have a strong service until Azarenka dug in during a rally for game point, beating Andreescu’s speedy response.

She managed to avoid deuce and win the third, but her opponent was livid about a bad call change made by the umpire. She merged the anger into her game, securing the service to level the score. A break of Andreescu gave her the lead in the fifth, producing necessary points late. The 18th seed added her third straight win over Andreescu, capping a strong service game in the sixth.

Azarenka dictated the returns well in the seventh, making it tough for the Canadian to avoid the double break. The Canadian threatened to break back on Azarenka’s serve for the set, but the 33-year-old got back into the lead and captured set point. It was a 40-minute outcome for the 18th seed, who didn’t have as many winners as her opponent, but had a steady output.

Andreescu called for the trainer, but she didn’t arrive in time to perform a medical timeout. The Canadian was forced to serve open the second set and trailed her opponent with errors committed. A third into the net handed Azarenka a breakpoint opportunity but finished a rally with a backhand error. She had one left and clinched it on Andreescu’s forehand crashing into the net.

The 22-year-old broke back to love in the second, dictating the returns beautifully. She failed to consolidate her efforts on the serve, giving Azarenka the break back. The 18th seed took a 3-1 lead, consolidating her service into the mix while holding her opponent to a point. The fifth game saw both smash winners to one another, but a change of momentum occurred and went in Andreescu's favor, who held the service.

The Canadian played every point like they were hers to win and gave nothing free to her opponent. On deuce, the 22-year-old fired accurate winners away from Azarenka’s reach to break. Andreescu added a third consecutive victory, bringing the heat to her returns for the lead. Azarenka tried hard to avoid another service from going south, but errors from her side awarded the Canadian a 5-3 situation that put her in reach of going the distance.

Serving for the set, the Canadian got tight with her shots, narrowly missing an ace for set point. She fired one down the line right of Azarenka to complete the 1-3 comeback and sit with a five-game winning streak after 49 minutes. Andreescu had 17 winners and ten unforced errors, but her fight from four double faults in the set proved her fight was alive and well.

When the third got underway, Azarenka notched two winners and forced errors by Andreescu to put an end to the slide. The Canadian earned free points on serve from the 33-year-old to level the score and get to business. The third was heavily contested, even during a point where Andreescu fell down. She and Azarenka went nearly six minutes in a two-break battle that stayed with the Canadian, who notched her fifth winner in the game.

With the break in hand, the 22-year-old went to deuce, denying Azarenka a breakpoint and taking the following AD point. The 18th seed stayed close to the Canadian because of her service hold in the fifth. She wanted a break to level the score, but Andreescu was not giving in. The 33-year-old erred a return to force deuce for Canadian, who dug in for a four-break battle to win it after a second pop fly return by Azarenka.

After the ten-minute ordeal, Andreescu had two game buffer and still had enough energy to respond well on the returns. Azarenka dug in to hold the seventh but watched the Canadian sped her way through the eighth on serve. Playing for the match, the 22-year-old suffered back-to-back errors and watched Azarenka overcome a double fault and hold serve.

The Canadian had a shot at getting it done on serve and achieved triple match points on errors from her opponent. Azarenka saved one on a crosscourt return winner and two more on errors by Andreescu. They went to deuce for the tenth time in the match, with the 22-year-old gaining a fourth attempt. On the second serve, she failed to get to a lobbed return by Azarenka. The Canadian brought up a fifth match point and watched her night come to a close after a hit into the net, ending a two-and-a-half-hour battle.

“I didn’t have a lot of matches under my belt, but I wanted to come into the tournament playing my best and happy with the way it turned out,” said Andreescu after the match.

Jelena Ostapenko fights back to straight sets result at French Open

Jelena Ostapenko smashes a forehand during her opening round match at the French Open. 

Jelena Ostapenko showed why she is a former champion at the French Open Monday night. Sitting 1-5 down in the second set, the 17th seed charged back against Tereza Martincova to hold her off in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 on Court 7 at Roland Garros.

The two met back in 2021, where the Czech won their only meeting, taking place on grass in Birmingham. The tables turned in favor of the Latvian, who won the slam six years ago and had a great run on the clay courts. Her efforts took her to the semifinal of Rome, losing a tough one to Elena Rybakina, who went on to take the WTA 1000 title. Holding a better record on the surface than Martincova, the 25-year-old had a great chance at dispatching her for back-to-back first-round exits.

She came out of the gates with a mixed bag of winners and unforced errors. Her path of struggling led them to deuce, where she held the service on a final winner. The Czech drew a pair of errors from Ostapenko before holding serve. Ostapenko remained wild on serve in the third, recording a total of four winners and three unforced errors. Despite playing three breaks of deuce, the Latvian held after a forced error by Martincova.

The 29-year-old served to love in the third and pushed Ostapenko to get ahead in the fifth. She drove a return at the 17th seed, who couldn’t get it back just right. With a break in hand, Martincova wanted to have the leverage, but Ostapenko rallied to 40-0 for the break. The Czech saved a point, but the 25-year-old kept it in check, leveling the score at three-all. She served up a chance to blank Martincova, but the Czech got back within reach of deuce.

The 17th seed fired a shot that didn’t make its way back, gaining the lead in response. Ostapenko scored the break on a winner and moved right into serving for the set. It was another messy performance by the Latvian, who went back-to-back on winners and unforced errors. Martincova was close to forcing deuce until Ostapenko capped it on a winner after the five-shot rally ending the first in 36 minutes. The second serve performance by the 17th seed saved her from overturning the momentum along, with the 15 winners recorded.

Martincova opened the second set in what became the longest contest of the match. They played 14 points where two double faults from the Czech nearly ended her serve early. She battled back to play four breaks with the 25-year-old, who dropped an error at the end. Ostapenko was trounced in the second, allowing the Czech to press the forehand to break the 17th seed.

The 29-year-old consolidated the break for a 3-0 hold and went into the fourth, hunting down a chance for the double break. It didn’t come easy for Martincova, but the unforced errors by Ostspenko brought up breakpoints late in the fourth. She took a commanding 4-0 lead on the 17th seed, who struggled to find consistency. Ostapenko pulled off a break back in the fifth, ending her slide, but the Czech scored the triple break to lead 5-1 and serve for a shot at going the distance.

The seventh game went five breaks until Ostapenko clinched the break to stay alive. She tried to go for another on serve, moving well on the court to set up the forehand winners and inch closer. Martincova was back on serve for the set in the ninth, but the Latvian denied her opponent set point on the fifth played. Ostapenko forced deuce and held the lone AD point to sit a game down. In the tenth, the 17th seed dominated on serve, allowing Martincova a point before closing the gap.

Winners continued to flow from the 25-year-old, who got a jump on the Czech’s service, getting in front of a lot of balls. Two errors into the net leveled the score for the 29-year-old, who watched Ostapenko’s aggressive tennis lead to further errors. A return on game point helped the Latvian force deuce, and after two breaks, she had the opportunity to go for the match.

The 17th seed watched a drop shot attempt go sour for Martincova on the opening point. A big line drive winner was too tough for the Czech to get back, and won the third on a check from the umpire. She delivered the defeat to Martincova on a forced error to pull off a huge comeback and make it to the second round after 1 hour and 43 minutes. 

Elina Avanesyan upsets Belinda Bencic at the French Open

Elina Avanesyan clenches her first after pulling off an upset against 12th seed Belinda Bencic at the French Open.

Elina Avanesyan earned an incredible victory to start her French Open debut Monday. Keeping her heels close against 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic, who didn’t play a clay court match in 50 days. Despite time off, the Swiss star gave it her all but faltered late in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 score on Suzanne Lenglen Court on the grounds of Roland Garros.  

The 20-year-old successfully made it into the main draw on her second try at Roland Garros, going against the world number 12.  Avanesyan had a slight advantage against the Swiss star, who missed most of the European clay tour. Her run in Charleston stood as a good step for her seventh appearance in the slam, hoping to go beyond the third round. Bencic made it to the round of 32 last year, and with time off to recover, the 26-year-old needed her offense to start on time.

Avanesyan was the one to attack well off the opening serve, holding Bencic to a point. She kept the pace high to break the 12th seed and rolled on for a 3-0 run. Avanesyan seemed accustomed to sliding on the red clay, consolidating the double break. Bencic was having issues doing the same, recording ten unforced errors from her end of the court. She put a stop to her problems in the fifth, refusing to give the 20-year-old another victory.

Bencic backed up the break in the sixth, digging into the gap that she managed to cut in half. The 12th seed continued to build a streak, notching her third game for the double break on Avanesyan. The lucky loser stopped Bencic in her tracks after the Swiss star suffered a double fault and was broken to love. Bencic attempted to turn things around in the ninth, gaining break-point chances to sit a game down.

Avanesyan fought back to deuce, making the game a critical one for either player to attain. They went three breaks, with the 20-year-old capping the first set on a beautiful winner. After 40 minutes of action, Bencic produced four winners to Avanesyan’s eight. Both players had a high number of errors that needed to be sorted out, but the leverage stood with Avanesyan.

Bencic took time off the court to regroup, and on her return to open the second set, the 26-year-old held her opponent to a point. Avanesyan held her side in the second, earning an easy victory from the service, while Bencic missed an easy return. She scored the first break of the set, gaining a lead and in control of her momentum against Avanesyan. The Swiss star improved the forehand and her overall service to step forward to a 4-1 grip of the set.

A strong break from the 12th seed put Avanesyan in a tough position to prepare for a third set to come into action. The 20-year-old managed to jump ahead on the score but watched as Bencic forced deuce. Avanesyan got into the court and took the forehand shots that helped her in the first to beat back the 12th seed. Bencic didn’t let the loss of serve bother her, staying focused in the eighth to break Avanesyan and strap up the second set after 40 minutes. Despite having three double faults, her opponent suffered four and recorded 17 errors. Bencic lowered the errors from her end and improved on the winners.

She cruised through her opening service of the final set, setting the bar for Avanesyan to level the score. The 20-year-old did just that in the second, giving it her best to stay tight against Bencic. The two recorded four holds of serve in the set, but the momentum was comfortable with the Swiss star, who laid down beautiful winners on the tramlines.

She wailed away the returns, adding pressure to Avanesyan, who fell behind on serve. She picked up the defense to save breakpoints and force deuce, but the AD point went to Bencic. Avanesyan changed the tempo to save her third breakpoint. She handed the 12th seed a fourth attempt, gifting the win on a long error from the backhand.

The 20-year-old scored the break back and made it four-all against the 12th seed. The ninth was huge for Bencic to contain, but the fight from Avanesyan made that all the more difficult. She took a 40-0 stance against the Swiss star, who battled back to deuce but suffered problems during the critical moments to achieve the double break.

With things going her way, Avanesyan served up a beautiful service, allowing Bencic a point before reaching match point. On the final rally, the 20-year-old got the win on a final error by the 12th seed, capping a remarkable upset that took her 2 hours and 19 minutes to accomplish.

Svitolina rolls her winning ways into the French Open

Elina Svitolina celebrates her win over Martina Trevisan at the French Open.

Elina Svitolina coasted through her opening round with a beautiful performance at the French Open Monday. The Ukrainian came off her title win two days ago to take down 2022 semifinalist Martina Trevisan in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 on Simone Mathieu Court on the grounds of Roland Garros.

The Ukrainian came off her second title win in Strasbourg, setting herself to do well on the courts in Paris. Svitolina continued to hunt down a maiden slam and hoped to have the moxie as a mother. The 28-year-old had a big task to start the tournament against Trevisan, who made it to last year’s semifinal. The Italian didn’t do well at Madrid, Rome, or Rabat, but the 29-year-old would more than remember her skills to surpass her personal best.

The Ukrainian opened the match that put the two on a pace of service holds through four games. Svitolina held again in the fifth, working hard to produce a break off Trevisan in the sixth for a two-game margin. The 28-year-old consolidated her early victories with a hold in the seventh to play against the Italian’s service for the set.

Trevisan committed a double fault on the second point that soon gave Svitolina three set points. The 29-year-old scored a winner to save one and watched the Ukrainian drop another. She sealed up the first set on an unforced error from Trevisan to take it all in 37 minutes. The 26th seed made three double faults that opened the door to allow Svitolina to dictate.

The Ukrainian opened scoring in the second, taking the challenges from the Italian and holding serve. She battled in the second game to earn a big break, going on to consolidate her efforts with a service hold in the third. Trevisan got into the set in the fourth, keeping Svitolina back on serve, but fell back three games as the 28-year-old capped another service game. The Italian etched another win in the sixth, cutting into Svitolina, who was not concerned.

She tallied a fifth win in the seventh, giving Trevisan a point before preparing to take the match. Forcing errors from the Italian helped Svitolina inch her way into position for match point. The 28-year-old smashed the final point in front of the net to finish her day in one hour and ten minutes.

“It’s extremely special for me to get the first win of the grand slam at Roland Garros,” said Svitolina after her match. “It was a great one for me today. I played really solid, and Martina is a tough opponent, so I knew I had to bring my best game today, and it actually happened. I had a lot of confidence after winning Strasbourg last week. I had to be quick to regroup and be ready for today.”

She’ll save all the energy she has left in the tank to prepare for her second-round match against Storm Hunter of Australia, who won her opening match in three sets.

Elina Svitolina scores second title in Strasbourg defeating Anna Blinkova in straight sets

Elina Svitolina was crowned champion for the second time at the Internationaux de Strasbourg

Elina Svitolina returned to the tournament to become champion again at the Inernationaux de Strasbourg Saturday. The 28-year-old held back Anna Blinkova in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 on Court Patrice Dominguez at the Tennis Club de Strasbourg. Svitolina became the first player since Samantha Stosur to win it twice and the fifth wildcard to claim the title.

The two met for the first time in the final, with the Ukrainian going for her second title in the French city. Svitolina battled through the tournament, coming back from 1-4 in the final set to defeat Clara Burel. Aside from two strong victories and a pass before the semifinal, the 28-year-old struggled to find her footing since returning from maternity. A title win would be the first since 2021 and become the fifth wildcard since Angelique Kerber to win it all.

Blinkova punched her ticket in the title match defeating Lauren Davis in straight sets. It was her eighth consecutive set won, hoping to keep the streak alive against Svitolina. Her success on the clay courts was the best outside hard court action. A second title victory would spell better times moving forward if she could get the best of the former world number three.

Svitolina made her push against the 24-year-old, taking the last three points of the opening game for the break. She had a tough service but was forced to deuce where she stopped a breakpoint, taking it on the second. Preventing Blinkova from getting into the set, Svitolina was rewarded with a break to love of the world number 66. The 28-year-old ran into more trouble on serve, suffering two double faults in the fourth. She battled back from 0-40 down, saving two breaks but missed her chance to force deuce.

With the break in hand, Blinkova sealed a winning streak into place, holding serve in the fifth. Sitting a game down, the 24-year-old watched her opponent serve to love and top off the seventh with another break to love. She served for the set at 5-2, feeling strong to gain two set points in the eighth. Blinkova saved one at the net and a second to force deuce. Svitolina played well for the AD point, clinching her third attempt with a perfect ace to complete the first in 33 minutes.

Svitolina performed better than her opponent in the late stages of the set, where she posted 12 winners and five unforced errors. The streak of breakpoints won was perfect for the 28-year-old, who outscored Blinkova 31-17. The 24-year-old served to open the second but found herself trailing. She forced deuce and saved three breakpoints, but the victory went to Svitolina.

The Ukrainian ran into a challenge in the second, which became the longest game of the match. The two went to deuce, where they played 12 breaks and 30 points. In the end, Svitolina made it 2-0 on an error from her opponent and pushed hard against Blinkova. She suffered another break of serve against the Ukrainian, who was on top of her game and halfway from the title after three games.

Blinkova got on the board with a break of Svitolina in the fourth, only to watch the Ukrainian break back. The 24-year-old added a second break and held serve in the seventh to sit a game down. Svitolina denied her the chance to even the score and held serve in the eighth to play for a chance at the championship. 

She jumped ahead on the score to bring up championship points but missed her return shot. Her second attempt landed long of the baseline near Blinkova, sending the two to deuce. Svitolina brought up a third but sliced it wide on the return to the 24-year-old. She was gifted a fourth that came on a wide return by Blinkova, ending the match in 1 hour and 33 minutes.

Elena Rybakina withstands rain, Jelena Ostapenko at Italian Open

Elena Rybakina clenches her first during her semifinal match against Jelena Ostapenko at the Italian Open. 

Elena Rybakina remained patient and put herself into the final of the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Friday night. The 23-year-old held herself through rain delays and a surge from Jelena Ostapenko, who tried to push for three, but the weather ceased to give the seventh seed a 6-2, 6-4 win on Campo Centrale at the Foro Italico.

Rybakina broke the Latvian in the opening game and took a short lead, holding serve. Ostapenko got on the board in the third, but it was the seventh seed, taking the next three straight to widen the gap. The 20th seed avoided going down on serve and gave it her all to keep the fight alive. The eighth was a contest after a total of 18 points played.

The seventh had three set-point chances but was denied by Ostapenko until she got her chances. She had two breaks to notch up the third, but the 23-year-old found a fourth set point to end the first in 43 minutes. Rybakina notched five aces and 78 percent of points from the first serve. It took a toll on the return game of the 20th seed, who suffered five double faults but made seven aces.

She opened the second with a strong service, keeping Rybakina back to  gain the break in the second and open a 3-0 lead. The seventh seed got her service in play, but it was Ostapenko firm and dictated. She gained back the three-game gap in the sixth while dealing with the rain delays. They got into the seventh, with Rybakina leading before Ostapenko wanted to stop playing.

When they resumed play, Rybakina won the game and served in the eighth to try and level the set. She held the Latvian to a point, painting a winner right on the line. With her leverage lost, the 25-year-old struggled to win points on serve in the ninth. Rybakina took free points on miscues from Ostapenko. Gaining three break points, Rybakina returned a line drive away from the Latvian to gain the lead 5-4. The Kazak had her shot at serving for the match to put an end to the lengthy battle.

The two got into a heavy fight where Ostapenko stopped Rybakina from clinching match point. The seventh seed gained her second chance on an error from the Latvian, who sent another return into the net, ending the night in 1 hour and 33 minutes.

Jelena Ostapenko scores massive upset of Barbora Krecjikova at Italian Open

Jelena Ostapenko in action during her second round match at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia against Barbora Krecjikova. 

Barbora Krejcikova watched herself go from having complete control of the match to slipping away at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Sunday. Jelena Ostapenko dug in from 1-5 down, put together points streak against the Czech, and pulled off the upset on the grandstand arena, winning 7-6(2) 6-0 at the Foro Italico.

This was their sixth meeting and the first since last year when they met twice and split wins in Doha and the Australian Open. The Latvian holds the series lead, but her output has been minimal and inconsistent. In her opening match, she posted 46 winners and unforced errors, needing three sets to get into place with the Czech.

Krejcikova opened her run in Rome, getting a grip on her opening match before her opponent retired. With a couple of wins against Ostapenko, the 27-year-old had a chance to jump ahead but had to be ready for a big turn of events.

She opened the match taking control after Ostapenko held serve in the first game. After holding the Latvian to a pair of points, Krejcikova broke the 20th seed and went on a point streak exceeding 15 points. At the end of the sixth game, the Czech had a 15-point winning streak and a 5-1 lead. It all changed in the eighth when Ostapenko backed up the hold of serve with a break from the tenth-seeded contender.

She then went on a nine-point streak that assisted in her push to level the score at five-all. The surge from Ostapenko left the door open for her to make the set hers to capture. She won five games in a row, holding Krejcikova to a point before gaining the lead. Krejcikova handled the pressure in the 11th, earning points from critical mistakes made by Ostapenko that sent them to a tiebreak.

The tenth seed won the first two points before Ostapenko rallied the next three straight. Issues from the crowd made it hard for Krejcikova to focus on her serve, suffering a double fault in response. It helped Ostapenko win another three points to set up for set point and take the first in 51 minutes. On the winners' side of dominance, the Latvian tallied 13 to Krejcikova’s seven, but while both had double-digit errors, the pattern of when they occurred spoke of the change in momentum.

In the second, it stayed that way for the 20th seed, who watched Krejcikova add her fourth double fault of the match and give her a chance to break. Ostapenko pulled off a serve to love, backing up the early jump on the score. The 25-year-old rallied to another point streak, taking the third game on account of another double fault from the Czech. After 12 points played, Ostapenko won 11, showing her dominance and control.

She held Krejcikova to a point on serve in the fourth and recorded a break to love in the fifth. The 27-year-old tried to fight to avoid the bagel, forcing deuce for the first time in the match, but the Latvian was rolling too fast and took the sole AD point for the match win that finished her day in 1 hour, and 15 minutes. Krejcikova’s serve sat at 45 percent winning 23 of 49 shots from it. Ostapenko fired 21 winners in a successful momentum swing that no one saw coming.

With a major competitor out of the way, she would go into the round of 16 facing Daria Kasatkina.

Jelena Ostapenko controls late to move forward at Italian Open

Jelena Ostapenko celebrates a key point during the second round of the BNL Internazionali D'Italia. 

Jelena Ostapenko kept her consistency in check during the critical moments of her match at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Friday. The 20th seed went the distance against Sorana Cirstea to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at Grandstand Arena on the grounds of Foro Italico. Ostapenko had 46 winners and unforced errors in her fight against the Romanian, who saved six match points near the end.

The two haven’t met in six years, making it a new place to feel out each other on the clay courts. Ostapenko carried a 2-0 lead on the Romanian, but her opening match remained a test to see if she could keep up her streak of making it through her opening match. The Latvian has an 8-0 record in tournament starts, but even during the surface season that is her forte, the 25-year-old didn’t do well in Madrid or Stuttgart.

Cirstea made it back to the second round in Rome for the first time in 11 years, going three sets against Katie Volynets. It added to her winning streak since winning the title in Reus last week. With plenty of positivity in her game, it left a good chance to take down the former French Open champ.

The 20th seed opened first with a shaky service game that saw an ace and a double fault. She reeled it in on deuce to cap the service and face her opponent’s serve. The Latvian got a jump on the score before Cirstea rallied her end to deuce. Containing the AD point was a tough ask for the 33-year-old, who gave the break, to Ostapenko. The Romanian broke back in the third, but during the sit-down, Cirstea complained about the conditions of the court and wanted to speak to a referee.

The two held serve each before Ostapenko rallied to take the sixth in quick form. She backed it up, shutting out the 33-year-old, who faced a three-game gap. She managed to hold in the eighth, but the Latvian set herself up with two set points, scoring the victory on a wide return from Cirstea that ended the first in 35 minutes. Ostapenko recorded 14 winners that at times came in a string to beat the Romanian, who struggled with 9 of 27 won from the return.

She opened the second with a hold of serve and soon brought together a challenge for the 20th seed. Four errors from Ostapenko in the second game caused frustration on her side. She tried to get a grip on deuce, but wide returns gave the 33-year-old a 2-0 stand. Cirstea battled the Latvian to back up the break, but it took three breaks of deuce to get it done.

The last two games saw the 20th seed tally more unforced errors than she did in the opening set. Despite the problems, she recovered in the fourth to hold serve but stood two games down. She pushed the 33-year-old to produce break point chances, but the errors killed her efforts to break. Two more on deuce went south, giving Cirstea an AD point chance and leading 4-1. With the Romanian closing in on forcing three on the court, the 20th seed needed the service to strengthen fast.

Cirstea took advantage of her opponent’s issues, opening up opportunities to break the 20th seed. After four breaks and attempts, the Romanian got the job done to take a 5-1 grip of the set and serve for the decider. Ostapenko kept the fight alive in the seventh, saving two set points before gaining an AD point to break back. The Latvian backed up the break in the eighth, but her comeback tour was cut short in the ninth. 

Cirstea held Ostapenko to a point for two set points, forcing the decider on a long return. It was a terrific output performance from the Romanian after 57 minutes, working out the kinks and watching her opponent struggle. Ostapenko made 24 unforced errors and missed six break points in the set. Despite double-faulting three times, Cirstea had the game at a level she was comfortable going forward with.

Ostapenko got herself in a great position, scoring a serve to love to open the third set. She battled against the service of Cirstea, who gave break chances to the Latvian. The two went to deuce, where break points came to Ostapenko, who closed it out on her fourth opportunity. She was setting the pace on the court, rushing through the third to allow the 33-year-old a point. After 16 minutes, the 20th seed was halfway through the set.

Cirstea put the brakes on the 25-year-old in the fourth, getting on the board to stop the rush. She couldn’t stop the Latvian on serve, who scored her second shutout. The 25-year-old captured the important break to serve for a shot at the match in the seventh. Ostapenko rolled to two match points, but a forehand into the net kept Cirstea alive. The Latvian made it deuce on another error but brought up an AD point. The Romanian saved a third attempt for the 20th seed but couldn’t keep the momentum to break.

Ostapenko was wide on her fourth match point and, after saving a second break point, watched her fifth go long of the baseline near Cirstea. Her sixth went into the net and would be her last when she sent another return long. The Romanian was rewarded for her efforts to tally her second game of the set. It was the sign of a massive shift after saving six match points, but on serve in the eighth, she gave up errors to Ostapenko. The Latvian didn’t let her seventh match point go to waste, delivering a brilliant return to watch a forced error become the final stat after 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The two played 205 combined points, with the 20th seed tallying 46 errors and 46 winners perfectly. While it wasn’t a stat of pride, Ostapenko had to make the necessary changes before her round of 16 showdown against Barbora Krejcikova.