Doha Qatar TotalEnergies Open Semifinal Preview
“For sure, I think, yeah, she plays well against me,” Swiatek said after her last meeting with Ostapenko, at the 2023 US Open.
It wasn’t a statement that really needed to be made. A few minutes earlier, Ostapenko had run her record against Swiatek to an improbable 4-0, which is where it sits today.
Ostapenko, as we know, goes for broke on virtually every shot, and that barrage of flat pace obviously has an effect on Swiatek. The Pole likes to take long swings, with an extreme Western grip, on her forehand side. But against this opponent, she doesn’t have time. She also likes to control the rallies from the first shot, but against this opponent it’s very difficult to feel like you have control over anything.
“I don’t really know what happened with my game,” Swiatek said after that three-set US Open defeat. “I felt no control suddenly.”
Can Swiatek break the Ostapenko curse on Friday?
