Jelena Ostapenko Upsets Venus Williams in Birmingham Thriller: A Clash of Tennis Titans

New Delhi 23 June (VNI) Venus Williams narrowly missed out on reaching her first WTA quarter-final in four years as she was defeated by Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Birmingham tournament on Thursday. Despite securing her first victory over a top-50 opponent in four years against Camila Giorgi in the opening round, the 43-year-old American legend and seven-time Grand Slam champion couldn't continue her winning streak. She faced a hard-fought battle against Latvia's Ostapenko on the grass courts of Edgbaston, ultimately succumbing to a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 loss.

Williams showed a glimpse of her past brilliance when she saved a match point at 3-5 in the second set, rallying to win three consecutive games as Ostapenko lost her momentum. After taking a 2-0 lead in the deciding set, it seemed like the five-time Wimbledon winner might secure a spot in the quarter-finals. However, Ostapenko, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, regrouped and dashed Williams' hopes of a confidence-boosting run in Birmingham before the start of Wimbledon on July 3.

According to media reports, reflecting on the match, Ostapenko acknowledged Williams' skills and the challenge she posed: "Of course, I could have finished it a bit quicker. I got a little bit disappointed after the match point in the second set. But Venus is a great player, a great champion, and it's an honor to share the court with her. She's a very dangerous player, especially on grass. It was a little bit hard, but I'm really happy that I managed it and I was fighting until the very last point. She's an idol for a lot of people, so it was very special."

Following her knee injury in Birmingham, Williams aims to recover as she has been granted a wild card entry for Wimbledon, a tournament where she made her debut in 1997 and reached her most recent Grand Slam final in 2017.

In the quarter-finals of the Birmingham tournament, Ostapenko will face Magdalena Frech from Poland, who overcame eighth seed Sorana Cirstea in a challenging match that ended 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4.

Other quarter-final matchups include Britain's Harriet Dart against fourth seed Anastasia Potapova, who defeated Caty McNally of the United States in a three-set battle (6-3, 2-6, 7-6 [7/0]). Additionally, top seed Barbora Krejcikova will face 18-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova in an all-Czech quarter-final clash. Fruhvirtova had already secured her spot in the last eight, while former French Open champion Krejcikova joined her by defeating Tereza Martincova with a score of 6-4, 6-4.

According to media reportds Jelena Ostapenko, who emerged victorious against Venus Williams, expressed her admiration for the American legend and her desire to become an idol for young kids, much like her own idol, Serena Williams. Ostapenko won the opening set comfortably and maintained her momentum for most of the second set. Although she couldn't close out the match in her first attempt due to nerves, she ultimately claimed victory. This win marked Ostapenko's first against Venus Williams, as their previous two encounters in 2017 resulted in Williams' favor. Ostapenko will face Poland's Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Birmingham Classic, while Venus Williams is expected to compete at Wimbledon after receiving a wild card entry.