It was Jelena Ostapenko’s career in miniature – a blistering start, a puzzling lull, a bold push to fulfil the initial promise. The Latvian has flattered to deceive since winning the French Open four years ago as an unseeded 20-year-old, rising to fifth in the world after reaching the final of the Miami Open in 2018 before sinking as low as 83rd the following year, when she suffered three successive first-round losses at the slams.
Through it all, the one constant has been Ostapenko’s commitment to attacking tennis, and it was that enduring quality that saw her past Shelby Rogers at Indian Wells as she overcame a mid-match dip to reach her biggest semi-final since that run in Miami three years ago.
Full of confidence after subduing second seed Iga Swiatek in the previous round, Ostapenko made a storming start, winning five of the first six games to establish a commanding lead. The barrage of winners slowly subsided, however, and as Rogers came to terms with the firepower being thrown at her, she won three successive games to lend an air of respectability to the first-set scoreline.
“From 5-1, I just stepped back a little bit and I was not that aggressive, and also maybe missed some balls, kind of gave her the opportunity to play,” said Ostapenko, the 24th seed. “If I just was playing the same like until 5-1, I think I could close the set a little bit easier than 6-4. I felt like I was rushing a little bit too much and making some stupid errors.”
Ostapenko was playing with fire. Rogers’ sparkling form of late has carried her to victories over world No 1 Ashleigh Barty at the US Open and, in the previous round here, Flushing Meadows finalist Leylah Fernandez. Having gained a foothold in the match, the tenacious American roused herself, treating Ostapenko’s second serve with the same contempt her own had received in the initial stages as she levelled the contest before racing ahead in the decider.
Rogers held three break points for a 4-1 lead in the third set, but a fired-up Ostapenko staved off the danger with some audacious play as she held firm for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.
“I think at that moment I just started to play really well,” said Ostapenko, who fill face former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka in Friday’s semi-final. “I raised my level. I think from 1-3 down, 0-40, I played like a top player. Before, I was rushing too much, making some unforced errors not in the right moments.
“I was just trying to kind of motivate myself and fight for every point … I felt like I needed to fire myself up, have some emotions, and that will help me. I think that did help me.”
Azarenka charted a more serene course to the last four, avenging her first-round defeat to Jessica Pegula at this year’s Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the American.
“I started going for my shots from the beginning,” said Azarenka, who is bidding for a third title in Indian Wells. “I knew I had to apply pressure on her.
“I think in the beginning of the match we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of points where I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I got this one,’ and she got me. I felt that I really just stuck to being aggressive and being consistent. I got my opportunities.”
In the top half of the draw, Anett Kotaveit of Estonia, the 18th seed, will face Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur for a place in the semi-finals, while former finalist Angelique Kerber takes on Spain’s Paula Badosa.