Back in , she won her maiden Grand Slam title, defeating Simona Halep in the summit clash. But her career has suffered a downfall ever since and has had just a solitary semifinal appearance at majors after her first Grand Slam title.
At 27, she still has the fuel left to show glimpses of her best form and would look to change her fortunes this year, starting with the Australian Open. However, Ostapenko is set to open her campaign against a seasoned player in the form of Belinda Bencic.
With Bencic having won an Olympic gold medal, she knows how to raise her game in big matches and it would be a cracker of a contest between the two. As a result, she managed to finish the year in the top 10 of the WTA rankings. Last year, she bowed out of the Australian Open in the third round after losing against the former World Number 1, Victoria Azarenka.
Thus, she would be looking for redemption and a change of fortunes when she steps onto the courts in Melbourne tomorrow. On the other hand, Belina Bencic is coming back from maternity leave after having welcomed her first child, daughter Bella, in April last year.
After being away from the court for more than a year, Bencic made a comeback to the ITF circuit in October last year. Soon after her return to the court, the Swiss showed glimpses of her best form and made it to the final of the WTA tournament in Angers, France, after putting on some gritty performances.
