Jelena Ostapenko seeks a first Grand Slam semi-final since 2018 when she takes on Barbora Krejcikova in Wednesday's Wimbledon quarter-final match.
The 2017 French Open champion defeated Iga Swiatek's conqueror Yulia Putintseva in the previous round to set up the encounter, with her Czechia opponent who seeks her first Slam semi-final since a successful run at Roland Garros in 2021.
Match preview
Ostapenko has arguably not had it this good at the Championships since reaching the semi-final in 2018, following a quarter-final run the previous year.
Her next four appearances on the lawns of Wimbledon ended in rounds one (2019), two (2021), four (2022) and two (2023), further underlining the significance of this year's surge to the last eight.
Despite reaching that one semi-final at SW19 in 2018, the quarter-finals of Slams have typically been the Latvian player's ceiling at the majors.
Ostapenko advanced to the last eight at the Australian Open last year and repeated the feat in the final Slam of 2023 in the United States but aims to be third-time lucky on Wednesday.
She has reason to be confident, having eliminated in-form Putintseva in the previous round to continue her run to this year's last eight without dropping a set.
The No. 13 seed must overcome a former Roland Garros champion to make another Championships semi-final, with Krejcikova going perfect since a three-setter in her tournament opener.
The Czech player has defeated every opponent in straight sets since Veronika Kudermetova took her to three in round one, with American qualifier Katie Volynets coming close only for the No. 31 seed to notch the win with two tie-breaks.
The following rounds have been straightforward, underlined by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro's third-round retirement and Danielle Collins losing out 7-5, 6-3 last time out.
Krejcikova has already outdone her previous run in 2021, when she made the fourth round, only to suffer earlier exits in 2022 (third round) and 2023 (second round).
Now she aims to make the final four at a major for the first time in three years, keen to battle Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina for a place in Saturday's decider.
Tournament so far
Jelena Ostapenko:
First round: vs. Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-2
Second round: vs. Daria Snigur 6-3 6-0
Third round: vs. Bernarda Pera 6-1 6-3
Round of 16: vs. Yulia Putintseva 6-2 6-3
Barbora Krejcikova:
First round: vs. Veronika Kudermetova 7-6[4] 6-7[1] 7-5
Second round: vs. Katie Volynets 7-6[6] 7-6[5]
Third round: vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-0 4-3 ret.
Round of 16: vs. Danielle Collins 7-5 6-3
Head To Head
Andrezieux-Boutheon (2015) - Round of 32: Ostapenko 6-3 6-4
Prague (2015) - Qualifying: Ostapenko 6-1 6-4
Dubai (2021) - Round of 32: Krejcikova 6-3 6-1
Australian Open (2022) - Round of 32: Krejcikova 2-6 6-4 6-4
Doha (2022) - Round of 16:Ostapenko 6-3 6-2
Rome (2023) - Round of 32: Ostapenko 7-6(2) 6-0
Birmingham (2023) - Final: Ostapenko 7-6(8) 6-4
Wednesday's match will be the eighth time Ostapenko and Krejcikova will tussle, with the Latvian dominating the Czechia player 5-2 in their head-to-head.
Their previous meeting at a major came at the 2022 Australian Open, claimed in three sets by the current No. 32 seed.
However, Ostapenko won the previous meeting between the players, instructively on grass at last year's final in Birmingham.
We say: Ostapenko to win in three sets
Ostapenko has played commendably at this year's run to the quarter-finals, underscored by not dropping a set and eliminating the in-form Putintseva, who had claimed eight straight victories on grass courts — including success over Swiatek in round three — before the Latvian ended that sequence.
Krejcikova may end her opponent's run of straight-set victories, but the in-form 2017 French Open champion should earn her first Wimbledon semi-final since 2018.
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