Jelena Ostapenko relished the opportunity to upset the Qatar Open crowd that had angered her with their support for Ons Jabeur.
Three-time major finalist Jabeur had the backing of the crowd as she took on Ostapenko in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
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Yet not only did fans cheer Tunisia's Jabeur, they also loudly jeered Ostapenko.
That reaction only prompted Ostapenko to lift her game, though, and she eased to a 6-2 6-2 win before addressing the crowd.
"Thank you, guys, for not cheering for me because it made me even more motivated," she said.
3 - Qatar Open is the first WTA level event at which Jelena Ostapenko has reached three semi-finals in her career (2016, 2022 and 2025). Home. #QatarTotalEnergiesOpen | @QatarTennis @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/HzIIS9Y0iV
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 13, 2025
"Obviously, it's great that Onsie, a woman in the Middle East, is representing and playing.. It's amazing what she has done for tennis. But you guys made me angry and more motivated, so I was playing even better."
Ostapenko will face Iga Swiatek next, while Amanda Anisimova takes on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the other semi-final.
Anisimova won the final match of the day on Thursday, coming from behind to defeat Marta Kostyuk 4-6 7-5 6-4.
