Wimbledon 2024: Krejcikova’s controlled aggression provides perfect antidote against high-flying Ostapenko

Barbora Krejcikova reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time with a straight-sets victory over fellow former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova celebrates winning her quarterfinal match against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Jelena Ostapenko hits a tennis ball as if there is no tomorrow. When she won the Roland-Garros singles title in 2017, she struck a whopping 54 winners and made as many errors on the slow and languid Parisian clay.

The thrill-a-minute, high-risk strategy has since carried her to quarterfinal or better at each of the other three Slams. But on Wednesday on Court No.1, Barbora Krejcikova’s controlled aggression proved the perfect antidote as the Czech triumphed 6-4, 7-6(4) to enter her maiden Wimbledon singles semifinal.

It was a sweet result for Krejcikova, who, after reaching the Australian Open quarters earlier this year, spent five months battling injuries and winning just three matches. She will now play 2022 champion Elena Rybakina — who blasted past Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 — for a spot in the final.

“I don’t have any words to say,” Krejcikova said, during the on-court interview. “I had decided before the match that I am going to leave everything I have on the court and I am happy I did it. It’s a great moment in my tennis career.”

The 28-year-old was at her best in the opening set. It was the first day in many when play on the show courts didn’t start with roofs closed. Soon Wimbledon park was bathed in sunlight and by the time the spectators basked a bit outdoors and settled into their seats, Krejcikova had raced to a 3-1 lead. She won 20 of her 23 service points and all 12 in her last three holds to pocket the set.

The Latvian’s power and panache didn’t bother her. Neither was she distracted by Ostapenko’s return stance, wherein the latter pranced like a football goalkeeper ahead of their spot-kick routine. With a high backswing, Krejcikova caressed the ball, into zones from where Ostapenko could do nothing.

But in the second set, Krejcikova’s game regressed to the mean and Ostapenko did not lift hers. What ensued was a scrap. The pair traded breaks and fought each other to a standstill at 4-4.

Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova in action during her quarterfinal match against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Krejcikova struggled with her timing and also seemed to lose her footing at the baseline quite a number of times. The 2021 French Open champion even fluffed the opportunity to serve out the match after breaking Ostapenko to 5-4.

However, she summoned her best game just in time, holding to love to take the set into a tie-break and running up a 6-3 lead once there. She eventually clinched the contest on her second match-point when Ostapenko sent a forehand return long.

In about four hours after Krejcikova’s moment under the sun, it was the turn of Lorenzo Musetti to experience the warmth as he ousted American Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to make his first Major semifinal. The Italian, seeded 25, continued his rich form on grass — final at Queen’s Club and semifinals in Stuttgart — to set up a clash against second seed and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian progressed after the World No.9 from Australia Alex de Minaur withdrew because of the hip injury he suffered in the closing stages of his fourth-round victory over Arthur Fils.