LONDON, Great Britain - Jelena Ostapenko thinks her background in ballroom dancing has helped her footwork on the court - and it also helps her entertain the crowds.
"They always make pictures of my faces!" she told reporters after she beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-4. "They enjoy so much watching those pictures. Just in general I'm very emotional person. On court you can see it sometimes. I think the crowd enjoys it."
The 2017 French Open champion is having a good time out there on the biggest stages too.
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"I don't feel any pressure," she added. "I'm just going out there and enjoying it. Probably because at the French Open a couple weeks ago I had so much pressure. It's now all gone. I'm just enjoying the moment.
"You play on a big court, in a great place, on grass, which is one of my favorite surfaces. It's just so much fun."
The Latvian is now all set for her first-ever meeting with Angelique Kerber - in the Wimbledon semifinal.
"She's a great player," said the 21-year-old. "It's going to be a battle. It's going to be a tough match. But I'm going to prepare well for it, going to be probably long rallies. I have to be very confident, aggressive, and consistent."
And she's hoping to go even further in this year's draw.
"Of course, it's a big advantage that I have already a Grand Slam in my pocket because I had this, like, opportunity to play those big matches already," she added. "But here is a completely different surface, different Grand Slam, all different. I have all this motivation to just win another one."
