Jelena Ostapenko, a Latvian, won the Eastbourne International for the 2021 season in a match between two players from the Balkans.
The 2017 French Open champion impressed when he knocked out Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 6-3 in the Eastbourne International final, so the Latvian has now claimed her fourth singles WTA tournament title.
After winning the Grand Slam on clay, the 2017 French Open and the 2019 hard-court title in Luxembourg, he has now added a grass-court title to his trophy collection.
“I’m really happy with the way I played all week,” Jelena Ostapenko said. “There were some tight matches, but I fought until the last moment. I played really well and I think in the semi-finals and the final, I played at a high level.”
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Kontaveit entered the Eastbourne International final with a 2-0 lead over the world number 43, but in this encounter, the Latvian turned things around and claimed victory in just 65 minutes.
“To be honest, I think I was very calm going into this match,” added Ostapenko. “I’m not stressed at all. I warmed up really well and I’m very ready. I’m just expecting a very tough match, because I know he’s a great player and it’s going to be really difficult to play against him.”
“I try to play more aggressively and take risks with my shots when I get the chance. I think I served really well today (26/6) which helped me a lot. I also use different punches, I use dropshots and sometimes I shoot slices with my forehand.”
The player, who received a wildcard for the tournament at Eastbourne, won more than 78 percent of his first serve points and has not committed a double foul in his last two games. He also produced 24 winners, more than Kontaveit which produced 17 winners.
The world number 43 started the match with a 4-1 advantage. When he had the chance to close out the first set at 5-2, Kontaveit showed his fighting power and held back the opponent by winning the eighth game.
But it didn’t last long as he squandered a 40/15 lead in the next game and instead made a double foul that gave Ostapenko a big advantage.
Entering the second set, the Latvian tennis player maintained the momentum. At 5-3, he created two match point opportunities, but Kontaveit saved the first with a forehand winner return, but the Latvian converted her second after the Estonian’s return was too wide.
“I think this is just the beginning,” said Ostapenko. “If I keep playing like I played in this tournament, I think I can get back into the top 10 and play well. So, I just have to keep that in mind and train even harder.”
