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Latvia’s Ostapenko Defeats Romania’s Halep To Win French Tennis Open


Simona Halep of Romania lost in the final of the French Open. (file photo)
Simona Halep of Romania lost in the final of the French Open. (file photo)

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia beat Romanian rival Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to win the French Open tennis tournament and become her country’s first Grand Slam champion.

The 20-year-old’s victory on June 10 came in only her second appearance at the prestigious Paris tournament. It was her first-ever title on the women’s tour.

When asked about her potential reception when she returns to Riga, she said, "Actually, yeah, I think it's a quite big deal in Latvia. My match, they had on a big screen in the city center. That's quite impressive."

She is expected to climb to 12th in the world rankings on June 12 from her current 47th place.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

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