Unseeded Ostapenko Storms to French Open Title
Maybe she was just too young to know better.
20-year-old Jeļena Ostapenko -- and no, that's not a smudge under the l; Latvians do that sorta stuff -- came into the French Open as bracket fodder, ranked 47th by the WTA and not worthy of a Grand Slam seeding.
But this event was ripe for someone like her to rise. More familiar names with formidable games were either outta the tournament or not long for it.
Among other luminaries and seeds:
- Serena Williams was out due to her pregnancy;
- Maria Sharapova was never in;
- Top-seed Angelique Kerber was chopped outta the blocks;
- Petra Kvitova make a triumphant return to the game but only lasted one round longer than that; and
- Venus Williams was done after the fourth round.
The watch was on when the little Latvian eliminated Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the quarters.
After coasting through the semi-finals against Timea Bacsinszky, the stage was set for her to become the first unseeded champion at Roland Garros since 1933.
Ostapenko powered her way from a first-set loss and a 3-0 deficit in the second to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Smaller nations take great pride in their notables.
Recall, for example, how Latvia's citizenry voted en masse to put countryman Zemgus Girgensons into the NHL All-Star game back in 2014:
It's a tad early to know if Ostapenko will have the staying power to collect more Grand Slam trophies, but earning one with her first-ever tour triumph is enough to ensconce her in the annals of tennis all by itself.
It will also no doubt entitle her to a huge celebration in her Baltic homeland.