The grass-court major tournament has witnessed some forced last-minute scheduling changes this year. Atrocious weather conditions during the 2024 Wimbledon Championships fortnight have led to lengthy rain delays on multiple occasions. With players being forced to play consecutive matches in a short time gap, this has led to a significant reduction in time in their recovery process. And when you ask who is currently the busiest player at Wimbledon? Perhaps it’s the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova!

The two former French Open champions,Krejcikova (2021) and Jelena Ostapenko (2017) will take on each other in the QF of Wimbledon. It’s gonna be Ostapenko’s ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ versus an epic display of variation in her shot-taking skills by Krejcikova. If we look at the broader picture, Krejcikova will start her doubles match in the third round on Centre Court at 7:30 pm. Then again she has to come back to the courts to play her singles QF at 1 pm.

There’s a very short turnaround time between the end of the doubles match (likely to last at least a couple of hours) and the start of her singles match the next day. This means she’ll have limited time for rest and recovery, which is crucial for a high-level tennis match.

Both of them have met each other seven times, and currently, the Latvian leads the H2H over the Czech by a 5-2 scoreline. Who has the edge in the upcoming enticing contest? Well, Krejcikova has reached three QFs this season, including the big one in Melbourne. However, she has failed to go through to the semis on all occasions. On the other hand, Ostapenko has already clinched 2 tiles this season and has featured in two QFs this season. Even in the win-loss record, Ostapenko (28-12) has better numbers this season compared to Krejcikova (11-9). What do both of these tennis stars have to say ahead of this mega clash on Wednesday (July 10)?

“I kind of grew up with Jelena” – Krejcikova speaks of her familiar opponent

Winning a Grand Slam title after a five-year-long gap is a record in itself. Can Jelena Ostapenko do the unthinkable? Well, for that she needs to overcome the Czech hurdle first at the QF. She believes she’s in the zone, she’s enjoying her aggressive style of play, and now she has also gained a fair bit of confidence. “I kind of know what I have to do, and I’m doing it quite well, especially in deciding moments. I’m just doing the things that I’ve been doing before, like when I won the French Open, when I was back in Top 10,” said Ostapenko.

While for Krejcikova, she said she wanted to celebrate her win a bit with good food before diving deeper into her next match. Speaking about Ostapenko, she added, “I kind of grew up with Jelena. She is a tough opponent. She’s playing good tennis. I expect it’s going to be a very, very difficult match.” Can Krejcikova overcome all the challenges and come up with yet another energetic performance in the QF? Share your thoughts in the comment box.