Jelena Ostapenko Breezes Past Coco Gauff
No.17 seed Jelena Ostapenko secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time in her career on Sunday, beating No.7 seed Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-3 at Melbourne Park.
In round four of the Australian Open, Ostapenko took just 93 minutes to secure her place in the next stage. She’ll now face Elena Rybakina, reigning Wimbledon champion, for a spot in the semi-finals. Rybakina shocked World No.1 Iga Swiatek by defeating her in their fourth-round match.
Ostapenko hit 30 winning shots and managed to fend off seven of Gauff’s eight break points. She was also unblemished in her three attempts at breaking the younger American’s serve.
Ostapenko earned her first victory against a Top 10 player at a Grand Slam in three years, and it marks her first quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam since 2018.
“Winning Roland Garros had a significant impact on my life, and it took me a few years to adjust due to my young age,” Ostapenko shared. She was 19 when she achieved the feat, turning 20 shortly after.
