Simona Halep - 2017 Roland Garros (c) Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

By the Numbers – How Halep & Ostapenko match up for the Roland Garros 2017 Women’s Final

 

By Ros Satar

  • 2014 finalist Simona Halep takes on unseeded Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the Roland Garros Wimen’s Singles
  • Both are aiming for their first Slam title
  • We take a look at this year’s stats
PARIS, FRANCE – What do the numbers tell us about the match up for Saturday’s final between Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko?

 

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Head to Head

Simona Halep Jelena Ostapenko
First Meeting

Simona Halep has been here before, she knows the drill and has learned from the mistake she made last time of having so many people around her for her first Slam final. This time she will be focused on just her team and will treat it like any other match. The pressure will be on the Romanian as there is also the World No. 1 on the line if she wins.

Jelena Ostapenko has been always the bridesmaid, never the bride when it comes to finals, but she could be on the verge of the biggest breakthrough title if she carried on her form into the final. Gritty and aggressive, she has come from behind and battled through three setters three times already so is up for a fight, but nerves and the pressure of going for the ultimate first tour-level title might be too much.

Advantage: Simona Halep

 

Titles & Finals History

Simona Halep Jelena Ostapenko
Titles (2017) 15 (1) 0 (0)
Finals (2017) 15 (3) 4 (2)
Slams (2017) 0 (0) 0 (0)

Halep has already added to her trophy-ware haul this year by successfully defending her Madrid title, and won her first six titles in the same year (2013) on every surface, so her experience will come to bear here.

Ostapenko has already made two titles this year, but has yet to convert a final run to a title in her career.

Advantage: Simona Halep

 

Year to Date W/L Record

  Simona Halep Jelena Ostapenko
All surfaces W/L 24-6 23-11
Clay-court 18-2 15-4

This brings things a little closer, but Halep still has a slight edge over Ostapenko coming into the clay season finale.

Advantage: Simona Halep

 

Match Stats 2017

  Simona Halep Jelena Ostapenko
Tie-Breaks (clay court) 4-1 (3-0) 6-3 (4-1)
Deciding sets (clay court) 9-3 (6-1) 12-5 (11-1)

Tie-breaks

Halep has been more decisive on the clay court tie-breaks and has avoided more than Ostapenko, who has as many as Halep does all year, on clay alone.

Deciding Sets

Ostapenko has been taken the distance more than Halep across the board this year, but her gritty determination has seen her dominate in that scenario with just one loss on the clay.

Advantage: Simona Halep

 

Tournament

Serve/Return

There really is not that much between them in terms of serve and return games – just a percent more on first serve points won by Ostapenko, but most tellingly Ostapenko is just that bit more efficient in terms of making the most of her break point opportunities.

The Latvian has been more effective with her aces, but has also been a lot more prone to double faults but the real telling stat is the sheer number of winners that Ostapenko has hit (245) admittedly with a high number of unforced errors. Expect her to be the one swinging free.

Advantage: Ostapenko

Halep and Ostapenko will play for the Roland Garros Women’s title at 3pm (2pm BST).