Jelena enjoys the greatest birthday ever
Tennis
Newcomer Jelena Ostapenko will face title favourite Simona Halep in tomorrow’s French Open women’s singles final – guaranteeing a first-time major winner.
After Ostapenko celebrated her 20th birthday in spectacular fashion with a 7-6 (7/4) 3-6 6-3 semi-final victory over Timea Bacsinszky, third seed Halep defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-4 3-6 6-3.
Ostapenko became the first unseeded woman to reach the French Open final since Mima Jausovec in 1983, and she is also tthe first Latvian grand slam finalist.
In a remarkable quirk of fate, both women were playing arguably the biggest match of their careers on their birthday, Bacsinszky enduring a disappointing 28th birthday.
“I am really happy. I love to play here – I’m just happy with the way I celebrated my birthday,” Ostapenko said.
“I was always playing aggressive and hitting the ball when I had a chance. It probably helped me to win.”
“I felt a little bit tight because it was a semi-final, but then I was just trying to be calm and just to try to play my game and just enjoy every moment.”
Halep will bid for her first grand slam title in her second French Open final after losing to Maria Sharapova in 2014. She used her clay court nous to defeat big-hitting Czech second seed Pliskova.
“It is nice to be in the final again,” said Halep. “I hope I can play better and win it. I’m playing a young player – it is a big challenge.”
Meanwhile, Andy Murray is reaping the benefits of being healthy, according to coach Ivan Lendl.
From hugely unpromising beginnings, the world No 1 has progressed to today’s men’s singles semi-final against Stan Wawrinka.
Lendl has reunited with Murray for the first tournament since the Australian Open having watched his charge’s struggles from afar.
But he insisted he was not too concerned because he knew illness and injury had badly affected Murray’s training. Lendl saidt: “Obviously winning is better but I knew the reasons why he is struggling. It was just a bit of bad luck.
“With the shingles and the elbow and then flu and then another flu and so on and so on. You just need to put in consistent work before you can expect consistent results. He’s won five matches and I’m hoping he can win one more.”
Murray and Lendl got back to basics in the week before the tournament – once Murray had got over his latest illness. The Scot admitted the drills were “pretty boring” but they have had the desired effect, with Murray now resembling the player who dominated the second half of last season.
He said: “When I’m getting into longer rallies now, I feel like I’m sort of in autopilot a little bit, like I know what I should be doing, and I’m hitting the ball in the right place.”
Murray will almost certainly have to play better if he is to repeat last year’s victory over Wawrinka, who is yet to drop a set.