Throughout the match, the 31st-seeded Czech player maintained her composure from the back of the court, forcing her opponent into 35 unintentional errors.
Under sunny skies on Wednesday, Barbora Krejcikova advanced to her maiden Wimbledon semifinal after defeating Latvia’s 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-6(4), in a match between the two former French Open champions.
Ostapenko’s attempt at a second Grand Slam championship after winning her first in 2017 fell apart on Court One, which was unusually left with its roof open during the event. The 31st seed from the Czech Republic maintained her cool from the back of the court to force her opponent into 35 unforced errors throughout the match.
Less than 50% of Ostapenko’s first serves during the opening set were made in the first set, despite her strong serve having difficulty finding the net. The 2021 French Open winner, Krejcikova, broke in the third game and won the first set.
In the second set, Ostapenko came back to break her opponent and take a 4-1 lead. But errors plagued her once more, and Krejcikova won four straight games to take a 5-4 lead.
The match went to a tiebreak, and Krejcikova’s outstanding crosscourt forehand struck the far line to give her a mini-break. She used that opportunity to close out the match and earn her first victory against the Latvian in their last four meetings.
In the semifinals, the Czech will play Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion.
