Ostapenko claims Birmingham title

In a captivating showdown between two former French Open champions, Jelena Ostapenko emerged victorious over Barbora Krejcikova with a score of 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, securing the title at the Birmingham Open on Sunday. Krejcikova had breezed through the tournament without surrendering a single set, showcasing her exceptional form in the English Midlands. Her impressive performance guaranteed her reentry into the world’s top 10 rankings, a feat that will be reflected in Monday’s update. But Ostapenko showed no sign of fatigue from her more draining route to the final as the Latvian claimed her first title of the season. “I played five great matches, this was the only match in two sets thankfully because every match was really tough,” said Ostapenko. “It’s a great preparation for Wimbledon.” Neither player dropped serve in the first set as Ostapenko finally got the upper hand in a marathon tie-break slamming a forehand winner down the line on her fourth set point.