Upset Alert: World No. 1 Swiatek Stunned By Inspired Ostapenko At US Open

Monday, 04 September 2023 at 06:02

byErik Virostko

Jelena Ostapenko shocked the WTA's world no. 1, Iga Swiatek, to reach the 2023 US Open quarterfinals.

Ahead of the fourth-round match between the two experienced players at the 2023 US Open one thing was clear. Swiatek was facing probably the most challenging opponent she could have faced in the fourth round, one that she never beat in her career.

And while the young Pole wanted to follow up on the previous thrashing of her best friend Kaja Juvan, Ostapenko wanted to keep her winning streak going, and beat the 22-year-old once again, and this time, also steal the world no. 1 spot from her.

But Swiatek wasn't ready to lose. Despite being broken in the opening game of the match, she broke her opponent's serve twice in the opening set, eventually winning it 6-3, and starting the match on the front foot.

Yet, soon, things started to turn around. The Latvian got the first break in the second set too, and despite Swiatek recovering it once more, she found no answer to another break from Ostapenko, who went on to win the second set 6-3 and take the match into the decider.

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Entering the third set, both players certainly had different thoughts. While the Latvian was riding the wave and ready to extend her winning streak against the Pole, Swiatek certainly doubted her skills, seeing the fourth consecutive loss to Ostapenko in the distance.

And that may have been exactly what caused the world no. 1 to play the way she did. In the third set, Swiatek couldn't hold her serve once, winning only five points on it, and facing something that she's used to doing to her opponents.

Ostapenko allowed Swiatek to win only one game in the third set to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and set up a quarterfinal clash with home crowd favourite Coco Gauff, who defeated Caroline Wozniacki earlier on the day.