Jelena Ostapenko powered her way into the Qatar Open semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over Ons Jabeur. While the Latvian’s on-court performance was stellar, her post-match remarks stole the spotlight as she addressed the crowd’s hostility.

Just before the Qatar Open, they both met in the previous tournament which was at the Abu Dhabi Open. Jabeur defeated Ostapenko in straight sets there, but the former World No. 4 redeemed herself at this event.

This year’s Qatar Open has marked a resurgence for Ostapenko, who has struggled with consistency in the past few months. En route to the semifinals, she defeated World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, showcasing the form that once took her to the 2017 Roland Garros title.

With this being her third semifinal appearance in Doha, the Latvian shows intent on leaving her mark in the desert once again. Her best performance came in 2016 when she reached the final of the tournament but lost to Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets.

In the on-court interview, Ostapenko didn’t hold back her thoughts on the crowd’s behaviour. She acknowledged the people who supported her during the match but pointed out those who were booing her. She said:

“Thank you guys, for not cheering for me because it made me even more motivated. But I know there’s some people who were cheering for me. Thank you, guys. Yeah you know I feel like when you’re playing at the stadium when everyone is cheering for your opponent. Obviously, it’s great that Onsie playing like a woman in Middle East and she’s representing and playing, its amazing what she has done for tennis but you guys made me angry and more motivated so I was playing even better.”

Ostapenko showed her understanding of the crowd’s support for their Middle Eastern player but at the same time turned their favouritism into a source of motivation, delivering a high-level performance fueled by determination. The 27-year-old dominated the 1st service points and the 1st return points, as the percentages were 71.4% and 57.1% respectively.

Jelena Ostapenko will face Iga Swiatek in the Qatar Open semifinal

Jelena Ostapenko, the doubles World No. 5, is set to take on three-time Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on February 14.

Iga Swiatek, the World No. 2 is eyeing her fourth consecutive title in Doha. She is coming off a strong win against World No. 5 Elena Rybakina, defeating her in straight sets.

The 2017 French Open winner has a staggering head-to-head record against the Pole, as she leads 4-0. This sets up a thrilling contest, with Ostapenko looking to extend her dominance and her opponent determined to flip the script.