"Jelena Ostapenko not choking is the real surprise of the day" - Tennis fans impressed with Latvian's dominant win over Coco Gauff at Australian Open

Jelena Ostapenko produced a dominant straight-sets win over Coco Gauff to reach the 2023 Australian Open quarterfinals, enthusing fans with her new-found consistency.

The 17th seed conceded only eight games on Margaret Court Arena in the fourth-round contest on Sunday (January 22). After a tight first set, which Ostapenko won 7-5, the Latvian strolled across the finish line. She rode on 30 winners and converted seven of eight break points faced, while going a perfect 3/3 on her break points saved, to close out a convincing 93-minute 7-5, 6-3 win.

Infamous for her penchant to implode, Ostapenko didn't blink with the finish line in sight. Playing her first fourth-round match at Melbourne Park, Ostapenko is now through to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since reaching the last four at Wimbledon in 2018.

Tennis fans were quick to praise the former French Open champion for her performance, with one fan joking about how Ostapenk not choking in such a big match has to be the surprise of the day.

Another fan called the Latvian's performance "incredible," opining that it was her best match since she took down Garbine Muguruza at the Qatar Open last year.

Jelena Ostapenko is now just three wins away from returning to the winner's podium in Grand Slams, nearly six years after her stunning 2017 Roland Garros triumph. She will now take on Elena Rybakina, who stunned top seed Iga Swiatek in the fourth round, for a place in the last four on Tuesday.

How has Jelena Ostapenko fared this year?

Jelena Ostapenko had an underwhelming start to the season, reaching the second round at the Adelaide International 1 and crashing out in the first at the Adelaide International 2.

Making her eighth appearance at the Australian Open, the 25-year-old opened her campaign with a straight-sets win over Dayana Yastremska. She faced a sterner test in the second round, needing three sets to get past Anna Bondar. Ostapenko then whizzed past Kateryna Baindl for the loss of just three games to reach the second week for the first time at Melbourne Park.

The Latvian then produced an impressive performance against 2022 Roland Garros runner-up Coco Gauff to move into the last eight at a Grand Slam for only the fourth time. Apart from her 2017 Roland Garros triumph and run to the 2018 Wimbledon semifinals, she also reached the last eight at the Grasscourt Major in 2017.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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