This year’s French Open has been a free-for-all, especially as far as the women’s draws have went, and the quarter-finals were no different. After beating the defending champion Garbine Mugurza in the previous round, French fans had hoped local girl Kristina Mladenovic would end France’s dry spell at the Roland Garros for 17 long years, but it was not be as Swiss No. 30 Timea Bacsinszky pulled off a stunning upset of the higher ranked player in straight sets, the final scoreline reading 6-4 6-4. With the win, Bacsinszky heads into the semi-finals with a proven reputation of a giant-hunter. Her win against the Mugurza ensured that a new queen of the clay court tournament would be crowned this year, with none of the competitors standing having won the French Open before. A fresh champion was not unexpected given a pregnant Serena Williams is missing and Maria Sharapova is still serving out her ban, but the constant upsets have knocked out the few recognizable faces remaining in the tournament.
Facing her in the semi-finals will be the Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko, who delivered the bigger upset of the day, defeating World No.11 Caroline Wozniacki in a rain-interrupted match.
Ostapenko looked a little vulnerable as Wozniacki took a 5-0 lead in the first set, but the Latvian teen came back to 5-4. However, Wozniacki broke her serve for a third time to seal the opener.
Ostapenko was more clinical when the chances continued to come in the second set.
Both players again failed to hold serve, breaking each other repeatedly before Ostapenko won three games in a row to lead 5-2. Ostapenko served out for the set after the first three-hour rain delay, and the rain seemed to have allowed her to regroup in the decider as Wozniacki struggled. Ostapenko broke serve in the fifth game, and won the final five games.
With the win, the 19-year old has become the first Latvian women to reach a Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era, and the first teenager to enter the semi-finals at the French Open since 2007.
Her face-off with the Swiss No.30 seed will be interesting to watch, and the unseeded player would hope to continue her dream run when she plays Bacsinszky tomorrow at the Center Court.
