Jelena Ostapenko proves she is a real fighter

Ann Jones Centre Court was treated to a spectacle of a final at the 41st edition of the Rothesay Classic at Edgbaston Priory Club.

The top two seeds began in the final in search of sixth and seventh WTA title respectively as Ostapenko and Krejcikova exchanged blows throughout a razor-tight first set. Nothing could separate the two until Ostapenko finally seized her chance to take the opener after an hour of play. Both had set points in a gripping tiebreak, but the Latvian edged Krejcikova at the fourth time of asking.

Having lost her first set of the tournament, Krejcikova then lost her serve in the first game of the second giving the No.2 seed a firm grip on the encounter.

The 2021 Eastbourne champion then stretched her lead to 5-1 and with each glance over at the Maud Watson trophy it appeared closer to the Latvian.

Yet, the 2021 French Open champion wouldn’t go down without a fight clawing her way back to 4-5 down, forcing her opponent to serve for the match again.

This time, Ostapenko held her nerve and struck home the winning forehand for the second grass-court title of her career after one hour and 53 minutes in the heat, 7-6(8) 6-4.

“She’s a really great player and congrats to her and her team,” said the 26-year-old, who has survived several close battles this week. “I was really close from 5-1 to 5-4 but then I managed somehow and I’m really, really happy about it. I was fighting every match.”

Krejcikova’s afternoon wasn’t all despair as alongside Marta Kostyuk they claimed the doubles crown, 6-2 7-6(7).

n Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz secured his first grass-court title and top billing at Wimbledon with victory over Alex De Minaur in the final of the cinch Championships.

The 20-year-old Spaniard overtook Novak Djokovic as world number one, and confirmed he will be a major contender to take the Serbian’s crown at SW19 next month, with a commanding 6-4 6-4 win at Queen’s Club.

Alcaraz was playing only his third ever grass-court tournament, and his first outside of two underwhelming visits to Wimbledon. In his first match he needed a third-set tie-break to get past French journeyman Arthur Rinderknech, but as the week wore on he grew in confidence on the surface and by Sunday looked to the manor born.

Alcaraz will now be top seed at Wimbledon and, on this evidence, has a genuine chance to emulate compatriot Rafael Nadal, who won at Queen’s in 2008 and went on to claim the big one three weeks later.

Alcaraz said: “It means a lot to have my name on the trophy. It was special to play here where so many legends have won. To see my name surrounded by the great champions is amazing.

“I started the tournament not very well, especially my movement on the grass, but it’s been an amazing week.”

De Minaur had been hoping to match his British girlfriend Katie Boulter, who won a first career title in Nottingham last weekend, but he just came up short.

He said: “It’s been a great week for me. We were close but I wasn’t quite able to get it done. Too good from Carlos.”