Jelena Ostapenko, who was unseeded going into Saturday's Women's French Open final, wasn't supposed to beat No. 3 overall ranked Simona Halep.
Jelena Ostapenko & Martina Navratilova (1978 Wimbledon) are the only women in Open Era to win 1st Grand Slam from down a set in the Final. Yes, she was trying to become the first unseeded women's champion at the tournament since - get this - 1933.
"If I have a really good day, and I'm hitting really well", said Ostapenko, who walloped 54 winners during her 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback victory over third-seeded Simona Halep in Saturday's final at the French Open, "I think anything is possible".
For Halep, bidding to join compatriots Ilie Nastase and Virginia Ruzici as major winners, it was a second final defeat in four years at Roland Garros. But again she levelled, and broke in the most spectacular style to win the match with her 54th victor, 6-3. I played well. But I think a little bit of luck in some points, all the lines, all the nets.
Until Roland Garros, Ostapenko was best known outside of Latvia as a racquet-throwing villain after an incident in Auckland in January, when she nearly hit a ball boy.
And then the fearless Latvian, Jelena Ostapenko, blasted victor after winner past Halep and worked her way back into the match. I love you guys. To play a final, it's an awesome thing. In time, she is likely to have her shot at Grand Slam glory and, perhaps, the No. 1 ranking. So I will work hard to climb the ranking and maybe win some more titles... [But] I'm really powerful and I was just born with that power probably. But also in the deciding moments, I think I played pretty well.
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Fear just does not seem to come into her vocabulary and the way she plays - the all-or-nothing style, going for broke, no matter what the situation - has such simplicity that it means there is no reason she can't repeat it next time she finds herself in this position. "But then, when I went on court, I felt quite free".
Ostapenko had promised to stick to her uncomplicated routine of attack-attack-attack before the final and was true to her word as she walloped 54 clean winners - and 54 unforced errors. If the third seed managed to put a potential victor back into play, the youngster would hit another victor which would land inside more often than not.
"I think Jelena has more focus if I am not in the stands", admitted Jakoleva. She has a strong personality which I like and she has a really aggressive style on court. And also I think my character is like that.
Halep, who also lost the 2014 final to Serena Williams, said: "I am sick in the stomach with emotions but hopefully I can win this one in the future".
"I'm really happy, but I still have to improve some things and to get better as player".
"Sometimes I felt like a spectator", the defeated third seed told a news conference. She lost the first set in many of her matches but she kept working and was very hungry, she wanted to win. "It hurts a lot and I need time just to, I don't know, to go away". My own expectations in terms of how I want to do have stayed the same.
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