Ostapenko played her fourth consecutive three-set match when she beat fourth-seeded Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova returns to China's Lin Zhu during their women's singles semi-final tennis match at the Rothesay WTA Birmingham Classic tennis tournament at Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham. Pic/AFP
Top-seeded Barbora Krejcikova and No. 2-seeded Jelena Ostapenko will contest the Birmingham Classic final after taking contrasting paths. Krejcikova hasn't dropped a set all week after dispatching Zhu Lin of China 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ostapenko played her fourth consecutive three-set match when she beat fourth-seeded Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
In a matchup of former French Open champions, Ostapenko leads the head-to-head against Krejcikova 4-2, including winning their most recent match last month in the Italian Open third round. But they have never met on grass.
By beating Zhu, the 12th-ranked Krejcikova will return to the top 10. She will be playing for her seventh singles title on Sunday and second of the year, after the Czech won Dubai in February.
Ostapenko took more than two hours to put down Potapova. Potapova needed six set points to clinch the first set. Ostapenko built a 4-0 lead in the second to even the set score.
The Latvian snatched the decisive break in the decider when she made four return winners to take Potapova's service game at 3-3.
¿It's important to win these kind of matches when you're sometimes not playing your best, and you just fight for every point,¿ the 17th-ranked Ostapenko said.
In her first final in almost a year, she will be aiming for her sixth singles title.
Also Read: Injury-ridden Venus Williams loses to Ostapenko
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
