<div align="justify">Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko stunned third seed Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to win her maiden Grand Slam title and become the lowest-ranked champion in French Open history.<br /><br />Ostapenko, 20, is the first unseeded player to lift the Roland Garros title in the Open era and the first Latvian major champion in history.<br /><br />She is the youngest French Open winner since Iva Majoli in 1997 and the first player to win a debut tour-level title at a Slam since Gustavo Kuerten in Paris that same year.<br /><br />For Halep, bidding to join compatriots Ilie Nastase and Virginia Ruzici as major winners, it was a second final defeat in four years at Roland Garros.<br /><br />The 25-year-old would have replaced Angelique Kerber as world number one with victory, but Halep was overpowered as Ostapenko blasted 54 winners to the Romanian's 10.<br /><br />Ostapenko set the tone immediately, disguising any nerves with an array of bruising groundstrokes to break Halep in the opening game.<br /><br />But the Romanian delivered a swift counter-punch, hitting back straight away on the Latvian's serve before holding with ease for 2-1.<br /><br />More crisp shotmaking for Ostapenko nudged the 20-year- old ahead once more, but the errors flew off her racquet just as regularly and Halep pulled 4-3 in front.<br /><br />Ostapenko's wildness betrayed her as she served to stay in the set at 4-5, netting a forehand to offer Halep set point and drilling long to gift the Romanian the set.<br /><br />The Latvian's mood soured further when Halep escaped from 0-40 down to begin the second set, the third seed then breaking Ostapenko to compound her frustration.<br /><br />Halep consolidated with a gritty hold for 3-0 before Ostapenko fought off a trio of break points to stall her rival's momentum and spark an incredible comeback.<br /><br />The Latvian moved level on serve when Halep hooked a forehand wide and then earned another break to chalk up a fourth game on the trot.<br /><br />The errors crept back into her game and Halep responded for 4-4, but Ostapenko promptly broke to love to leave herself in sight of a deciding set.<br /><br />She conjured up three set points with a laser forehand down the line, forcing the match to a third set with another sweetly-struck winner.<br /><br />Ostapenko continued her feast or famine style but watched two break points flash by as Halep withstood a sustained assault.<br /><br />Halep broke for 3-1 when Ostapenko drilled long, but the latter retrieved it the next game with a thumping return.<br /><br />The Latvian stepped in to pummel a weak second serve for 15-40, with Ostapenko grabbing a huge slice of luck when a wayward backhand clipped the net and dropped just over for a 4-3 lead.<br /><br />Halep, who saved match point against Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, had no response this time and Ostapenko sealed a stunning triumph with another break by hammering a backhand down the line. <br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko stunned third seed Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to win her maiden Grand Slam title and become the lowest-ranked champion in French Open history.<br /><br />Ostapenko, 20, is the first unseeded player to lift the Roland Garros title in the Open era and the first Latvian major champion in history.<br /><br />She is the youngest French Open winner since Iva Majoli in 1997 and the first player to win a debut tour-level title at a Slam since Gustavo Kuerten in Paris that same year.<br /><br />For Halep, bidding to join compatriots Ilie Nastase and Virginia Ruzici as major winners, it was a second final defeat in four years at Roland Garros.<br /><br />The 25-year-old would have replaced Angelique Kerber as world number one with victory, but Halep was overpowered as Ostapenko blasted 54 winners to the Romanian's 10.<br /><br />Ostapenko set the tone immediately, disguising any nerves with an array of bruising groundstrokes to break Halep in the opening game.<br /><br />But the Romanian delivered a swift counter-punch, hitting back straight away on the Latvian's serve before holding with ease for 2-1.<br /><br />More crisp shotmaking for Ostapenko nudged the 20-year- old ahead once more, but the errors flew off her racquet just as regularly and Halep pulled 4-3 in front.<br /><br />Ostapenko's wildness betrayed her as she served to stay in the set at 4-5, netting a forehand to offer Halep set point and drilling long to gift the Romanian the set.<br /><br />The Latvian's mood soured further when Halep escaped from 0-40 down to begin the second set, the third seed then breaking Ostapenko to compound her frustration.<br /><br />Halep consolidated with a gritty hold for 3-0 before Ostapenko fought off a trio of break points to stall her rival's momentum and spark an incredible comeback.<br /><br />The Latvian moved level on serve when Halep hooked a forehand wide and then earned another break to chalk up a fourth game on the trot.<br /><br />The errors crept back into her game and Halep responded for 4-4, but Ostapenko promptly broke to love to leave herself in sight of a deciding set.<br /><br />She conjured up three set points with a laser forehand down the line, forcing the match to a third set with another sweetly-struck winner.<br /><br />Ostapenko continued her feast or famine style but watched two break points flash by as Halep withstood a sustained assault.<br /><br />Halep broke for 3-1 when Ostapenko drilled long, but the latter retrieved it the next game with a thumping return.<br /><br />The Latvian stepped in to pummel a weak second serve for 15-40, with Ostapenko grabbing a huge slice of luck when a wayward backhand clipped the net and dropped just over for a 4-3 lead.<br /><br />Halep, who saved match point against Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, had no response this time and Ostapenko sealed a stunning triumph with another break by hammering a backhand down the line. <br /><br /></div>