Jelena Ostapenko v Simona Halep LIVE! Women's French Open final at Roland Garros
Unseeded Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia takes on favourite Simona Halep in the women's French Open final at Roland Garros.
FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL
LIVE NOW: Jelena Ostapenko v (3) Simona Halep
LIVE NOW: Jelena Ostapenko v (3) Simona Halep
HALEP 6-4 *2-0 OSTAPENKO
Ostapenko, who had never won a match at the French Open before this year, is showing her frustration by looking toward her box. She fight back from 0-30 down and is forced to save a BREAK POINT opportunity for Halep.
The former Junior Wimbledon champion is still going for winners, but when she misses, it's costing her dearly.
Halep brings up a SECOND BREAK POINT but once again Ostapenko saves it. It's not long before she earns a THIRD BREAK POINT though and this time a wayward forehand gifts it to her.
Ostapenko, who had never won a match at the French Open before this year, is showing her frustration by looking toward her box. She fight back from 0-30 down and is forced to save a BREAK POINT opportunity for Halep.
The former Junior Wimbledon champion is still going for winners, but when she misses, it's costing her dearly.
Halep brings up a SECOND BREAK POINT but once again Ostapenko saves it. It's not long before she earns a THIRD BREAK POINT though and this time a wayward forehand gifts it to her.
HALEP 6-4 *0-0 OSTAPENKO
Ostapenko delivers a short angled forehand winner with so much ease at 0-15, but Halep is all over a poor attempt of a drop shot to move 30-15 up.
A tight forehand hands Halep a SET POINT and it's her set after the Latvian drives her forehand too deep.
Ostapenko delivers a short angled forehand winner with so much ease at 0-15, but Halep is all over a poor attempt of a drop shot to move 30-15 up.
A tight forehand hands Halep a SET POINT and it's her set after the Latvian drives her forehand too deep.
HALEP 5-4* OSTAPENKO
Halep is going to Ostapenko's backhand every single time they get embroiled into a rally. She is taken to deuce in another tight game at a crucial time in this set.
Halep stays with the unseeded Latvian in a lung-busting rally before hanging on as Ostapenko fires long.
Halep is going to Ostapenko's backhand every single time they get embroiled into a rally. She is taken to deuce in another tight game at a crucial time in this set.
Halep stays with the unseeded Latvian in a lung-busting rally before hanging on as Ostapenko fires long.
HALEP *4-4 OSTAPENKO
The 20-year-old Ostapenko is a ball of energy as she double faults for the third time but at 40-15 she narrowly misses the line. Halep defends admirably to force her opponent into a 17th unforced error and take the game to deuce.
The Latvian levels up after almost moonballing the Romanian and then forcing her into netting.
The 20-year-old Ostapenko is a ball of energy as she double faults for the third time but at 40-15 she narrowly misses the line. Halep defends admirably to force her opponent into a 17th unforced error and take the game to deuce.
The Latvian levels up after almost moonballing the Romanian and then forcing her into netting.
HALEP 4-3* OSTAPENKO
Halep seems to have a large backing of Romanian supporters inside Court Philippe Chatrier although the 25-year-old is stretched on serve once again as she is taken to deuce.
The unseeded Ostapenko dispatches a backhand winner to earn a BREAK POINT, but she just misses the line. Halep hangs on in the end to move ahead in this fascinating first set.
Halep seems to have a large backing of Romanian supporters inside Court Philippe Chatrier although the 25-year-old is stretched on serve once again as she is taken to deuce.
The unseeded Ostapenko dispatches a backhand winner to earn a BREAK POINT, but she just misses the line. Halep hangs on in the end to move ahead in this fascinating first set.
HALEP *3-3 OSTAPENKO
The 20-year-old Ostapenko had never been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament until this one. This is only the eighth major of her career, but she is handling the occasion exceptionally well.
At 0-30 though she double faults to hand Halep THREE BREAK POINTS and some deep balls causes Ostapenko to net. It's another break of serve!
The 20-year-old Ostapenko had never been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament until this one. This is only the eighth major of her career, but she is handling the occasion exceptionally well.
At 0-30 though she double faults to hand Halep THREE BREAK POINTS and some deep balls causes Ostapenko to net. It's another break of serve!
HALEP 2-3* OSTAPENKO
If Halep wins, she will move up to No 1 in the rankings for the first time, but Ostapenko is going to make this hard work for her. She's stepping up to the baseline and hitting the ball early and very, very hard. She brings up TWO BREAK POINTS and moves ahead after the Romanian goes long.
Does the world No 47 know she's in a Grand Slam final?
If Halep wins, she will move up to No 1 in the rankings for the first time, but Ostapenko is going to make this hard work for her. She's stepping up to the baseline and hitting the ball early and very, very hard. She brings up TWO BREAK POINTS and moves ahead after the Romanian goes long.
Does the world No 47 know she's in a Grand Slam final?
HALEP *2-2 OSTAPENKO
Ostapenko cracks an 88 mph forehand winner from a tight angle before striking another forehand from deep before Halep nets. We're level!
Ostapenko cracks an 88 mph forehand winner from a tight angle before striking another forehand from deep before Halep nets. We're level!
HALEP 2-1* OSTAPENKO
Halep, who was runner-up at Roland Garros in 2014, seems to have learnt her lesson from that opening break as he varies her serve to march towards a love game.
Halep, who was runner-up at Roland Garros in 2014, seems to have learnt her lesson from that opening break as he varies her serve to march towards a love game.
HALEP 0-1* OSTAPENKO
Halep serves first, but istaken apart as the young Latvian rifles three winners to bring up THREE BREAK POINTS. And she takes it with his first opportunity with yet another accurate backhand down the line - amazing start!
Halep serves first, but istaken apart as the young Latvian rifles three winners to bring up THREE BREAK POINTS. And she takes it with his first opportunity with yet another accurate backhand down the line - amazing start!
WATCH OUT FOR THOSE WINNERS
In six rounds, Ostapenko has executed 245 clean winners - 26 percent of all the points she has played. She is the youngest French Open finalist since Ana Ivanovic 10 years ago, and likes to takes a riskier approach, striking every ball as if she is trying to separate it from its fluffy coat.
Her average forehand speed at the French Open is 76mph - only a couple of clicks behind Rafa Nadal's and ahead of men's world No 1 Andy Murray.
In six rounds, Ostapenko has executed 245 clean winners - 26 percent of all the points she has played. She is the youngest French Open finalist since Ana Ivanovic 10 years ago, and likes to takes a riskier approach, striking every ball as if she is trying to separate it from its fluffy coat.
Her average forehand speed at the French Open is 76mph - only a couple of clicks behind Rafa Nadal's and ahead of men's world No 1 Andy Murray.
2017 WIN-LOSS RECORD
Halep: 24-6
Ostapenko: 28-11
Halep: 24-6
Ostapenko: 28-11
BRITISH SUCCESS
Teenager Alfie Hewett became the first British winner of a wheelchair singles title at the French Open with a dramatic victory over defending champion Gustavo Fernandez.
The 19-year-old from Norwich lost the first eight games and saved two match points in the second-set tie-break before going on to win 0-6 7-6 (11-9) 6-2.
Hewett said: "I played him a week and a half ago in another final and I was 6-0 3-0 down, and when it went 6-0 2-0 this time I was thinking, 'Oh no, here we go again'.
"But I remembered coming back that time so I knew I could come back, and when it got to that tie-break, it was very up and down, he had I don't know how many match points, I had set points.
"Mentally that was a big positive for me to just keep in there and hold out. I felt good after I won that second set. I knew I needed to get off to a good start in the third and when that happened I just grew in confidence."
Teenager Alfie Hewett became the first British winner of a wheelchair singles title at the French Open with a dramatic victory over defending champion Gustavo Fernandez.
The 19-year-old from Norwich lost the first eight games and saved two match points in the second-set tie-break before going on to win 0-6 7-6 (11-9) 6-2.
Hewett said: "I played him a week and a half ago in another final and I was 6-0 3-0 down, and when it went 6-0 2-0 this time I was thinking, 'Oh no, here we go again'.
"But I remembered coming back that time so I knew I could come back, and when it got to that tie-break, it was very up and down, he had I don't know how many match points, I had set points.
"Mentally that was a big positive for me to just keep in there and hold out. I felt good after I won that second set. I knew I needed to get off to a good start in the third and when that happened I just grew in confidence."
LADIES DAY AT ROLAND GARROS
A women's tournament that was missing Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will end with a first-time Grand Slam champion.
It will either Simona Halep of Romania or 47th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who turned 20 on Thursday. She is the first unseeded finalist at Roland Garros since 1983; she's also never won a tour-level title of any kind. She had never been past the third round at any Grand Slam tournament before this week, and her previous French Open experience consisted of a first-round loss last year and a loss in qualifying the year before that.
She faces the 25-year-old Halep who is a much more established player. She has won 15 tiles, and was the 2014 runner-up at the French Open. Victory today will move up to world No 1 for the first time.
The match-up provides quite a contrast in styles with Ostapenko's big bold strokes going up against Halep's more conservative strategy. Who will win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen?
A women's tournament that was missing Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will end with a first-time Grand Slam champion.
It will either Simona Halep of Romania or 47th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who turned 20 on Thursday. She is the first unseeded finalist at Roland Garros since 1983; she's also never won a tour-level title of any kind. She had never been past the third round at any Grand Slam tournament before this week, and her previous French Open experience consisted of a first-round loss last year and a loss in qualifying the year before that.
She faces the 25-year-old Halep who is a much more established player. She has won 15 tiles, and was the 2014 runner-up at the French Open. Victory today will move up to world No 1 for the first time.
The match-up provides quite a contrast in styles with Ostapenko's big bold strokes going up against Halep's more conservative strategy. Who will win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen?
FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL
LIVE NOW: Jelena Ostapenko v (3) Simona Halep
LIVE NOW: Jelena Ostapenko v (3) Simona Halep
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