Which outsiders could follow Ostapenko to Paris glory?

It took some digging to find any sign that Jelena Ostapenko, contesting only her eighth Grand Slam, would triumph at Roland Garros in 2017.

A relative unknown at world No.47, the 19-year-old Latvian was yet to lift a trophy at WTA level and in her only other main draw appearance in Paris, she failed to win a single match.

Arguably the only hint that Ostapenko would become both the lowest-ranked French Open champion of the Open era, and the first from her nation to claim a Grand Slam title, came several months earlier.

Human highlight reel. ????

Watch 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko power her way to a Roland-Garros title. ???? #RG17 pic.twitter.com/0hiC4J3s3K

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2017

On the green clay of Charleston, Ostapenko stunned world No.5 Caroline Wozniacki to reach a WTA final for the first time.

It’s perhaps significant that Wozniacki was again a victim to Ostapenko’s free and fearless hitting in their French Open quarterfinal, the Latvian’s progression among four three-set victories she amassed in a career-defining run.

Most memorable was Ostapenko’s unlikely win over Simona Halep in the final, when the teenager recovered from a 4-6 0-3 deficit to seal her unlikely French Open victory with a booming backhand winner – her 54^th of the match, and 299^th for the event overall.

“I still cannot believe it, because it was my dream and now it came true,” said Ostapenko, the youngest French Open women’s champion in 20 years. “I think I’m going to only understand that in maybe couple of days or couple of weeks.”

FEATURE: Could Ostapenko retain her French Open title?

A year on, Ostapenko has added another career title on her record – claiming Seoul last September – and at world No.5, provides a reminder to many unseeded and unproven colleagues that big breakthroughs can come at any time.

Here are five who might surprise at Roland Garros next week.

1. Maria Sakkari

Rank: No.39      Age: 22
Like Ostapenko in 2017, the Athens-born 22-year-old’s lone French Open main draw appearance ended with a first-round loss. In Rome, however, Sakkari stunned clay-loving Kiki Bertens (the reigning Charleston champion) and upset world No.6 Karolina Pliskova in three hard-fought sets. At a career-high world No.39, the superbly athletic Sakkari could carry that momentum into Roland Garros.

2. Sorana Cirstea

Rank: No.45      Age: 28
Many might forget that in the period before a serious shoulder injury – Cirstea making a slow return to the tour after surgery in 2015 – the Romanian reached the 2009 French Open quarterfinals at age 19. Her headline-grabbing run included consecutive top-10 wins over Jelena Jankovic and Wozniacki. While it might seem a lifetime ago, it also points to the Romanian’s ability to surprise on a big stage.

3. Katerina Siniakova

Rank: No.57      Age: 22
After starting the season with an appearance in the Shenzhen final, it’s been a relatively lean period for Siniakova but as the  Bstaad runner-up in 2016 and champion in 2017, there’s little doubt of her ability on clay. Throw in the fact that the Czech has a handy record over top-10 opponents – victims include Simona Halep, Wozniacki and Johanna Konta – and a solid French Open run could be ahead.

4. Kristyna Pliskova

Rank: No.70      Age: 26
It can’t be easy being the “other” Pliskova, Kristyna overshadowed by former No.1 sister Karolina for most of her career. But after upsetting Petra Kvitova in Charleston and Julia Goerges in Nurnberg, the big-serving lefty has shown a more competitive side. Clay would admittedly seem the most unlikely surface to break through – Kristyna is yet to claim a win in three French Open main draws – but you’d have said that too of Ostapenko, who lists her favourite surfaces as hard court and grass. And a first-round draw against an out-of-practice Serena Williams could be viewed as the perfect springboard to success.

5. Marketa Vondrousova

Rank: No.90      Age: 18
At age 18, Vondrousova has already proven her resilience with a successful comeback from a 2016 elbow injury. On returning to the tour in 2017, the Czech left-hander claimed 20 straight match wins and as a qualifier at Biel, upset seven higher-ranked opponents for a first WTA career win. While not quite predicting that a 90^th-ranked teen is ready to become a major champion – after qualifying for Stuttgart, injury forced her out of Prague – it’s also not unfathomable that Vondrousova make her mark.