Having watched the final of the French Open at Roland Garros, I am amazing by the powerful style of newcomer (and unseeded winner) Jelena Ostapenko. Runner up Simona Halep played a strategic game, winning the first set 6-4, and leading 3-1 in the second set, before succumbing to the 20 year old new stars blistering shots.
To be fair, the risky shots were falling for the champion in the second half of the game. One could argue that her shots were landing the whole tournament, as seeded player after seeded player was defeated. The after number of hits per point was just over 4...which shows that there were minimal rallies in this match. Strong risky winners (and their related unforced errors) is what won this day.
Halep appeared to risk very little, playing a consistent game that did well when the younger Ostapenko misfired. This however cost her the game - particularly at crucial times (think second set close to going up 4 - 1, or third set again up 3 -1). It seems like if Halep played with 'nothing to lose' strategy, she could have made a few of those key moments turn her way. Then again, the plan seemed to work well for the first half of the match...so who am I to second guess.
This was a good day for women's tennis. There a bright new young star, and Halep also has a few years left to win a grand slam. I would really love to see a rematch between these two, and would like to see a bit more emotion from Halep (something that has caused her problems in the past, but also helped inject passion into the game at the right moments).