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World No. 21 Jelena Ostapenko thought the Polish fans were crossing the line during her Dubai round-of-16 match against Iga Swiatek and that fueled her to really want to beat the world No. 9. Ostapenko, a former world No. 5, edged out No.
6 seed Swiatek 4-6 6-1 7-6 (4) to reach the Dubai quarterfinal. After the match, Ostaneko was asked what she thought of the fans and atmosphere. "I think it's really nice, the fans there. The Polish people were a little bit too nice because, like, clapping for double-faults.
I don't think it's the right way. It's not a football match, it's a tennis match at the end. When she was making double-faults, nobody was clapping because people know how to behave, Some of them, of course, they were behaving not the way they should," Ostapenko said after the match.
"I think it only made me more angry and more hungry to win. I didn't really care what they were doing. In general it was nice atmosphere."
Ostapenko admitted it fueled her to really want to win
Ostapenko was asked if that was the kind of atmosphere that fueled her to really want to win.
"Yeah, of course. I really wanted to win. I mean, but in general I think fans should not behave on a tennis court the same as they are behaving on a soccer match," Ostapenko added.
Ostapenko three times recovered from a break down in the first set but lost the first set after getting broken for the fourth time in the 10th game.Shots fired by Jelena Ostapenko after her win over Swiatek:
"The Polish people were a bit not too nice, like, clapping for double-faults.I don't think it's the right way. It's not a football match, it's a tennis match at the end."
"It only made me more angry & hungry to win." pic.twitter.com/rIWrCriJOb — Musab (@Musab_Abid) February 16, 2022
Ostapenko bounced back in an impressive fashion from losing the first set as she broke Swiatek three times in the second set to force a decider. After failing to serve out for the match in the ninth game of the third set, Ostapenko dropped her serve in the 11th game of the third set.
Swiatek then failed to serve out for the match in the 12th game as Ostapenko forced a tie-break. Ostapenko converted her second match point in the tie-break to escape with a tight three-set win.