Ostapenko defeats Kasatkina to lift Adelaide Trophy; re-enters Top 10

Jelena Ostapenko won her seventh career title on Saturday, defeating No.15 Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2 in the Adelaide International final. Ostapenko's win is her fourth hard-court championship title and her first since winning in Dubai in 2022.

Ostapenko will return to the Top 10 on Monday, after being out of it for over five years. The 2017 Roland Garros champion was last ranked in the Top Ten in September 2018.

Ostapenko has had a solid start to the 2024 season. She began her year by reaching the Brisbane quarterfinals and winning the doubles title with Lyudmyla Kichenok. Ostapenko, seeded sixth in Adelaide, overcame a tough draw to defeat Sorana Cirstea, Caroline Garcia, Marta Kostyuk, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Kasatkina.

Going into the final, Ostapenko led the series 5-2, but Kasatkina had won their only previous hard-court meeting. That occurred more than six years ago, in the third round of the US Open in 2017.

Kasatkina has thrived on Adelaide's faster courts in recent years, having been a finalist the previous year but in a stark contrast of styles, Ostapenko's baseline power trumped Kasatkina's court craft and guile.

Ultimately, the difference came down to return efficiency. Ostapenko broke Kasatkina's serve five times during the match. Despite breaking serve three times, Kasatkina let Ostapenko off the hook in two crucial return games.

Ostapenko broke Kasatkina twice in the first set to take a 3-2 lead. She increased her lead to 5-2 before sealing the first set two games later with a perfectly feathered drop shot for her 16th victory.

The patterns of play persisted in the second set. With Kasatkina unable to keep the ball out of Ostapenko's strike zone, the Latvian eased through the set, sealing the win after an hour and 15 minutes.

Ostapenko won the match with 32 winners and 27 unforced errors. Kasatkina hit 12 winners and 13 unforced errors.

Ostapenko and Kasatkina travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday. Both players will play their first round on Tuesday. Ostapenko will face Kimberly Birrell, while Kasatkina faces Peyton Stearns.

SportsLigue