Roland Garros’ battle of the birthdays was won by Jelena Ostapenko Thursday as the Latvian became the first unseeded woman to make the French Open final since Mima Jausovec in 1983.
Ostapenko had a 20th birthday to remember as the big-hitter beat Timea Bacsinskzy — whose own 28th birthday wasn’t quite as good — 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 to reach Saturday’s final.
If Ostapenko, the world No. 47, defeats Simona Halep or Karolina Pliskova — they contest the second semifinal later in Paris — she would become only the second unseeded woman to ever triumph at the clay-court major after Britain’s Margaret Scriven in 1933.
Ostapenko may have lost in the first round last year and failed to make it out of qualifying a year earlier in Paris but that was largely down to her inexperience.
Ostapenko — who practiced ballroom dancing when younger — signaled her promise in tennis by winning the Wimbledon juniors in 2014.
She sealed her place in the final with a forehand winner — her 50th winner of the encounter — and minutes later “Happy Birthday” was being sung in French, led by interviewer and former Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli.
Ivanovic honored
Despite Switzerland’s Bacsinszky being a French speaker, Ostapenko was the crowd favorite, perhaps due to her flashy game. She is not one to back down.
Her average forehand speed exceeds men’s No. 1 Andy Murray’s and is only slight slower than 14-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal’s.
And she’s not one to hide her emotions, either.
Bacsinszky — who took a medical timeout in the middle of the first set for an issue with her right leg — will rue not winning the opener after leading 5-4, 15-30 on Ostapenko’s serve. A sliced forehand, a shot she likes, went into the net.
The 2015 semifinalist did rally to force a third but was always under pressure on serve in the decider.
When Ostapenko held for 3-1 in a marathon fourth game of the third, the job was almost done.
When it was, Ostapenko also ensured becoming the youngest French Open finalist since Ana Ivanovic in 2007.
Serbian Ivanovic was honored in a ceremony on Philippe Chatrier court after Thursday’s match: The 2008 champion retired in December.
Besides bidding for a spot in the final, second-seeded Pliskova knows she will replace Angelique Kerber as the world No. 1 by downing third-seeded Halep, the in-form women’s player on clay.
Halep — the 2014 French Open finalist — staged a huge comeback Wednesday, coming back from a set and 5-1 down and saving a match point to defeat her conqueror in the Rome final, Elina Svitolina.