Stosur on Ostapenko: “if she’s on she can beat anyone”

Sam Stosur knows better than most the destructive power of Jelena Ostapenko when the young Latvian is in the zone.

Ostapenko on Tuesday advanced to the second round of the US Open with a 6-2 1-6 6-1 win over Lara Arruabarrena of Spain.

The victory means the 20-year-old has now won 12 of her past 13 matches at Grand Slam tournaments; after winning at Roland Garros she reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

She is yet to fall before the third round of a major in 2017, after advancing to the last 32 at Melbourne Park.

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Stosur, who fell to Ostapenko in the fourth round at Roland Garros – albeit hampered by a hand injury – noted the strides her young opponent had made since their last meeting at the Rio Olympics.

“She’s one of those players that you’ve seen her coming up, and she’ll have some really good results and then lose and you can totally see how that happens with her style – she plays so aggressive, all the time,” Stosur said.

“If she’s on she can beat anyone in the world. She proved that over the last few months definitely. But she’s still really raw, because she’s young and just hits and plays.

“I think at that age, if you can play like that and back yourself the way that she does, you can be very, very dangerous.

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“I was actually really impressed that she backed up making quarters of Wimbledon after winning the French. I know, and many other players know, that its not easy going into the next Grand Slam (after winning one).

“Her tennis, she’ll probably be able to hone that more and more as she develops. But she’s certainly got some big weapons there, and to win Slams and be at the top you’ve gotta have those sorts of weapons.”

Ostapenko will meet Sorana Cirstea in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Stosur, meanwhile, remains sidelined as she continues to struggle with the hand injury she sustained in Paris.