Foto: BB.LV / Остапенко
Latvian tennis player Alena Ostapenko, ranked 34th in the WTA world rankings, delivered one of the tournament's surprises in Wuhan by defeating the second seed Jessica Pegula from the USA. The tense three-set match lasted over two hours and concluded with Ostapenko winning 2:6, 7:6 (9:7), 6:3. According to the LETA agency, the second-round match started poorly for the Latvian representative. Pegula quickly seized the initiative, leading 2:0, and then extended her advantage to 5:1. Ostapenko managed to win another game, but the first set went to the American — 6:2. In the second set, the competition became significantly more intense. At 2:3, Ostapenko required medical assistance, but after the break, she managed to turn the tide of the match. The Latvian tennis player won a game on her opponent's serve without dropping a single point, leveling the score. The ensuing battle led to a tiebreak, which became the decisive moment of the match. Pegula led 3:0, but Ostapenko restored parity. The American then had two match points but failed to convert either. The Latvian tennis player seized the opportunity, won the tiebreak 9:7, and took the match to a third set. In the final set, Ostapenko dictated the pace of the game herself. She led 3:1 and then increased her advantage to 5:2. Pegula managed to reduce the deficit, but could not stop her opponent — 6:3. This victory marked Ostapenko's third win in seven encounters with Pegula. Before the match in Wuhan, the American led their head-to-head record 4:2. The last time the players faced each other this season was at the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, where Pegula won in three sets — 4:6, 6:3, 6:2. Reaching the round of 16 earned Ostapenko 120 WTA ranking points. In the next round, the Latvian representative will meet the winner of the match between Canadian Leylah Fernandez, ranked 25th in the world, and Chinese player Shi Han, who is ranked 217th and qualified for the main draw. At the start of the tournament, Ostapenko confidently defeated Australian Daria Kasatkina — 6:1, 6:1. Pegula, seeded second, received a bye in the first round. For Ostapenko, this performance in Wuhan marks her fifth in her career. Her best result here was reaching the semifinals in 2017. Last season, the Latvian tennis player exited the tournament in the first round. The tournament in Wuhan is held on hard courts and concludes the series of WTA 1000 events for the current season. The victory over the world number four gives Ostapenko the opportunity to continue her pursuit of one of the most significant results of the season.
