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Unseeded Jelena Ostapenko is into the French Open final, unfazed by the occasion
One of the great myths of tennis—maybe of sports—states that experience is automatically a benefit. Sometimes the player who recognizes the weight of the occasion is duly burdened by it. And the newcomer swinging away with reckless abandon is at an advantage. Such was the case in the first women's semifinal on Thursday.
🎂 Happy birthday!!
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2017
Le plus beau des cadeaux d'anniversaire pour la jeune Jelena Ostapenko qui se qualifie pour la finale !! #RG17 🎁 🎁 🎁 pic.twitter.com/A67XmWwk5A
'Penko Power. 💪 #RG17 pic.twitter.com/lqIlxxDpaY
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2017
Jelena Ostapenko may not have won a title of any size in professional tennis. But she plays aggressive go-for-broke tennis and, having just turned 20 on Thursday, goes about her business as though she's playing with house money. Her high-risk/high reward game yielded the latter, as she beat Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland in three sets, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3. Ostapenko cracked 50 winners and recovered nicely after dropping the second set.
So far the decade has treated her well. Imagine if Ostapenko's first pro tennis title is a French Open crown? She's one match from it and hardly seems flustered by the possibility.
Snapshots from the semifinals
French Open 2017 semifinals
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Dominic Thiem
Rafael Nadal
Stan Wawrinka
Rafael Nadal
Stan Wawrinka
Andy Murray
Dominic Thiem
Stan Wawrinka
Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal
Andy Murray
Andy Murray
Andy Murray
Andy Murray
Stan Wawrinka
Andy Murray
Jelena Ostapenko
Stan Wawrinka
Andy Murray
Timea Bacsinszky
Jelena Ostapenko
Timea Bacsinszky
Timea Bacsinszky
Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko
Timea Bacsinszky, Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko
Simona Halep
Simona Halep
Simona Halep
Simona Halep
Simona Halep
Simona Halep
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Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat, sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for “60 Minutes” and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor’s in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City and Paris with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.
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