Teenager Marina Stakusic survived four match points to claim the biggest win in her career, defeating top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko, a top 10 star who is often cast as the villain, to advance to the Guadalajara Open quarterfinals, with the nature of Ostapenko’s third set collapse leaving commentators in disbelief.
The 19-year-old Canadian was down 4-0 in the third set and then fought off four match points down 5-3. She managed to force a tiebreaker, and then shut the Latvian out.
Stakusic had earlier comfortably won the first set, and was up a break serving for a straight-sets win but couldn’t seal it. She eventually won 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(0) in a marathon match that stretched beyond three hours.
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Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia reacts against Marina Stakusic of Canada during the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open Akron singles round of 16 match as part of the Hologic WTA Tour at Panamerican Tennis Center on September 12, 2024 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images) Getty
“I’m happy to pull through, it was a rollercoaster, I got a chance to close it in the second and I didn’t, but I’m happy with the win and excited with the quarters,” said Stakusic, who got into the main draw on a wild card.
Stakusic defeated Olympic semifinalist Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round and then Ostapenko for her first-career win over a top-20 player.
Last year she lost to Barbora Krejcikova in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The Canadian No.155, is the first wild-card entry to reach the quarterfinals in Guadalajara.
Ostapenko coughed up 17 double faults in the match.
Earlier, fourth seeded Caroline Garcia held off Ena Shibajara 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) and also progressed to the quarterfinals where she will meet Marie Bouzkova, who in the first match of the day breezed past qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini 6-2, 6-1.
Marina Stakusic of Canada serves against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia during the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open Akron singles round of 16 match as part of the Hologic WTA Tour at Panamerican Tennis Center on September 12, 2024 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images) Getty
The 30-year-old Garcia will be playing in her first quarterfinal since she advanced to the Rouen semifinals last April.
“We played very different styles, she is a player that does not suit me, I need to play solid, and I will see what I can do differently to beat her,” said Garcia, who is 0-4 against Bouzkova.
