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A18 SPORTS
Friday 9 June 2017
Out-of-nowhere Ostapenko to face Halep for French Open title

HOWARD FENDRICH szky, who also lost in the
AP Tennis Writer 2015 French Open semi-
PARIS (AP) — Jelena Osta- finals. “She’s a baby, but
penko is a young woman in she’s a beautiful baby.”
a hurry. One who hits the ball as if
On the day she turned 20, she’s angry at it.
Ostapenko became the first Bacsinszky — whose birth-
unseeded French Open fi- day was also Thursday; she
nalist since 1983, using big turned 28 — employed all
and bold groundstrokes to manner of strategies in a
end points lickety-split on bid to throw off her op-
the way to beating 30th- ponent. She tried staying
seeded Timea Bacsinszky of in points until Ostapenko
Switzerland 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 would make a mistake. She
on Thursday. tried mixing speeds and
“Her life is like this: Every- angles and target spots.
thing very fast,” said Osta- She tried hitting shorter to
penko’s coach, former pro draw Ostapenko forward.
Anabel Medina Garrigues. She tried hitting deeper.
“Hit fast. Walk fast. Talk None of it worked well
fast.” enough to win, although
It’s true. How quickly did this here is precisely how close
come together for Ostap- Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko returns the ball to Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland during their semifinal the match was: Ostapenko
enko, the first tennis play- match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Thursday, June 8, 2017 won 106 points, Bacsinszky
er from Latvia to reach a in Paris. Associated Press 105.
Grand Slam final? Not only “Bad luck. OK. It’s a tough
is this just her eighth major here,” Ostapenko said, the Czech Republic 6-4, more at stake for the No. one,” Bacsinszky said when
tournament, and not only her words spilling out with 3-6, 6-3 in the second com- 3-seeded Halep: In addi- she was informed of that
had she never been past nary a pause in between, pelling semifinal on a sunny tion to a chance for Grand margin, her eyes filling with
so much as the third round “of course I didn’t expect I day with the temperature Slam title No. 1, a victory tears. “I cry now or later?
at one before this week, would be in the final.” touching 81 degrees (27 would allow the 25-year- It actually makes me cry
and not only did she lose In Saturday’s championship Celsius). old to seize the No. 1 rank- now.”
her opening match in Paris match, the 47th-ranked Os- While Ostapenko is assured ing for the first time, too. It didn’t help that she
a year ago, but she has yet tapenko will face Simona of making her debut in the This is the second major fi- tweaked her right thigh in
to win a tour-level title of Halep of Romania, who got top 20 next week thanks to nal for Halep, the runner- the first set. A trainer taped
any sort. past 2016 U.S. Open run- her surprising showing at up to Maria Sharapova at up her leg; Bacsinszky took
“I mean, when I came ner-up Karolina Pliskova of the French Open, there is Roland Garros three years painkilling medicine. Still,
ago. not much later, she was
“I hope this time I can play two points from taking that
better,” Halep said, “and I set.
can win it.” “In some moments,” Osta-
There will be quite a con- penko said, “I felt a little bit
trast in styles Saturday at tight.”
Court Philippe Chatrier. Didn’t really show. She
Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort) The 5-foot-6 (1.68-meter) surged in the tiebreaker,
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grab the second set. But
She made 14 unforced er-
GAMES START 8 PM TO THE WEE HOURS rors against the No. 2-seed- Ostapenko took charge
in the third, dictating the
ed Pliskova, whose total action and taking the last
was 55. The 5-10 (1.77-me- three games. By match’s
1-2.....2-5......5-5 1-3.....2-5......5-5 ter) Ostapenko, mean- end, the statistics were strik-
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Risk rewarded.
ONLY CASINO IN ARUBA TO OFFER 3, 4 & 5 TIME ODDS ers’ questions. Plus, the pace was entirely
Bacsinszky’s scouting report to her liking: 165 of the 211
on Ostapenko, a pal she points lasted fewer than
SPORTSBOOK played doubles with last five strokes.
year?
“I was just trying to be calm
LIVE SIMULCAST OF ALL MAJOR TRACKS “She is young and reck- and ... play my game,” Os-
THROUGHOBRED AND HARNESS less, in a sense. She’s not tapenko said, “and just en-
afraid of anything. She’s joy every moment.”
a big hitter,” said Bacsin- Well said, kid.