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Wednesday 7 June 2017

Unseeded Latvian teen Ostapenko into 1st Slam semi at French

HOWARD FENDRICH the 2017 French Open. With tour-level title.
AP Tennis Writer Serena Williams (pregnant), Before last week, she had
PARIS (AP) — Suddenly a Maria Sharapova (denied only once made it as far
Grand Slam semifinalist for a wild card after a dop- as the third round of any
the first time, Jelena Ostap- ing suspension) and Vic- Grand Slam tournament.
enko sounded a lot like the toria Azarenka (about to A year ago, Ostapenko
carefree teenager she’ll be come back after having a lost in the first round of the
for only a bit longer. baby) all absent, No. 1 An- French Open.
Ostapenko, an unseeded gelique Kerber upset in the The year before that, she
19-year-old from Latvia, dis- first round, and defending lost in the first round of
played unbridled joy after champion Garbine Mugu- French Open qualifying.
using the go-for-it strokes of ruza beaten in the fourth, She is the youngest French
someone too bold to know this tournament became Open semifinalist in a de-
better to beat former No. 1 wide open. cade.
Caroline Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, It is the first major since “Maybe,” Ostapenko said,
6-2 at the French Open on the 1979 Australian Open “kind of (a) new genera-
a rainy Tuesday. where no women’s quar- tion.”
She cracked jokes at her terfinalist was a Grand Slam Against Wozniacki, a two-
news conference, then gig- champion. The out-of-no- time U.S. Open runner-up,
gled at her own words. As where Ostapenko’s next Ostapenko sent shots to-
Ostapenko left the room, opponent is 30th-seeded ward the lines and put
she turned to her agent Timea Bacsinszky of Swit- them right where she want-
and whispered with a wide, zerland, who eliminated ed often enough to deliver
proud smile, “My answers 13th-seeded Kristina Mlad- 38 winners — 32 more than
are funny.” This is all so new enovic of France 6-4, 6-4. her defensive-minded op-
to her — and she seemed Ostapenko and Bacsinszky, ponent.
as surprised as anyone to also a semifinalist at Roland “It looks like she hits it late
be where she is. Garros two years ago, will a lot of the time, and you
“I mean, of course, when I meet Thursday. That just so think she won’t be able to
came here, I didn’t expect happens to be Ostapen- do cross-court or down the
I’m going to be in the semis, ko’s 20th birthday and Bac- line in certain moments,”
but I was playing better sinszky’s 28th — which they Wozniacki said, “and she
and better every match,” each knew, because they
the 47th-ranked Ostapen- were doubles partners at Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko clenches her fist after scoring a point does anyway.”
ko said. “So I think if I keep a tournament last season against Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki during their quarterfinal The first Latvian woman to
it up, I think anything can and have become pals. Af- match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Gar- reach a Grand Slam semi-
happen.” ter Tuesday’s victories, they ros stadium, in Paris, France. Tuesday, June 6, 2017. final in the professional
Those last three words ran into each other in the Associated Press era, Ostapenko credits her
might as well be printed on players’ gym and hugged. younger than I am,” Bacsin- me, experience-wise.” strong footwork to a hob-
posters to commemorate “Lucky her, she’s way szky said. “But maybe lucky Ostapenko has yet to win a by, ballroom dancing (she
prefers the samba).
When Tuesday’s play be-
gan, the wind averaged 18
Usain Bolt to run 100 at the mph (30 kph), with gusts up
to 50 mph (85 kph), making
Golden Spike meet in June balls swerve oddly. Serve
tosses were an adventure.
Players wiped their eyes
when dust kicked up from
PRAGUE (AP) — Usain Bolt Organizers say the eight- Bolt says “I think (the Gold- the clay court. There were
will return to the Golden time Olympic champion en Spike) was the first pro- two rain delays totaling
Spike track meet in the will run on June 28. fessional track meet that in- more than 3½ hours — both
Czech city of Ostrava to Bolt will race for the ninth vited me to run back at the scheduled men’s quar-
run the 100 meters. time at the meet, part of start of my career and it is terfinals were postponed
the IAAF world challenge fitting that I should return to Wednesday — and
In this Aug. 20, 2016 file photo Jamaica’s Usain Bolt poses with series, as part of his prepa- there in my final season.” when matches resumed
his gold medal for the men’s 4x100 meters relay during an ath- rations for the world cham- Bolt previously said he for good, the temperature
letics podium ceremony at the Summer Olympics at Olympic pionships in London in Au- didn’t plan to run the 200 dipped below 55 degrees
stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. gust. meters in his final season.q (12 Celsius).q
Associated Press