In the highlight second round match at the French Open, Jelena Ostapenko produced a superb performance to eliminate second seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2 in 69 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Firing off 27 winners, the 2017 champion broke the Czech five times in winning a match at Roland Garros for the first time since her stunning title win three years ago. The Latvian has lost just nine games in her first two matches in Paris.
Ostapenko blitzes Pliskova to seal third round spot
Three straight breaks of serve to open the match ended with an Ostapenko forehand winner in the third game, which went 12 points as the Latvian took a 2-1 lead. Three games later, Pliskova was back on serve thanks to some unforced errors by Ostapenko.
The Latvian broke again for a 4-3 edge and, showing surprisingly solid form on serve, she stepped up to try and close it out at 5-4, doing so as the 2017 champion ripped off backhand winner to bring up set point and an error from that same side by Pliskova gave Ostapenko a one-set lead.
She furthered her edge with a break in the opening game of the second set, a series of slices that ends with a wild backhand error from Pliskova. The Czech managed to stay in touch, saving a break point in the fifth game.
She was soon staring down two break points next time she served thanks to a stunning drop shot by Ostapenko. Pliskova saved the first, but not the second as Ostapenko lashed a forehand to go ahead 5-2. Serving for the match, she closed it out on her third chance when the Czech missed with a forehand.
