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Jelena Ostapenko upset by Kristyna Pliskova at 2018 Shenzhen Open

By Harry Floyd

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 30: Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia plays a forehand against Serena Williams of United States during Ladies Final match on day three of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at International Tennis Centre Zayed Sports City on December 30, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 30: Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia plays a forehand against Serena Williams of United States during Ladies Final match on day three of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at International Tennis Centre Zayed Sports City on December 30, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) /
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Jelena Ostapenko sees a surprising early exit from the 2018 Shenzhen Open. The second seed is upset by Kristyna Pliskova.

Jelena Ostapenko is out of the 2018 Shenzhen Open earlier than expected.

The current French Open champion sees an upset from the unseeded Kristyna Pliskova. The Czech tennis player is the twin sister of former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. She will face Ana Bogdan next at the Shenzhen Open. Pliskova defeats Ostapenko in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-4.

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It is a rocky start to the 2018 WTA Tour for Ostapenko. Her seeding this week set up the possibility of a rematch between her and top seeded Simona Halep if both were able to reach the finals. Halep is in action tomorrow at the tournament.

Jelena Ostapenko will need to rebound for the Australian Open.

The young Latvian tennis star was fresh off of a win over American superstar Serena Williams. The two were featured in a one-off singles match at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere at the Shenzhen Open, former world No. 1 and Russian superstar Maria Sharapova continues on. Sharapova wins her match with American tennis player Alison Riske to reach the quarterfinals. The Russian is continuing to make her return to tennis. Last year, she returned briefly after serving a fifteen month suspension due to the use of a banned substance. Sharapova takes her meeting with Riske, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

Look for Jelena Ostapenko to bounce back after this loss. She saw a third round appearance at last year’s Australian Open. After surging in the later Grand Slams of 2017, including during her French Open title run, Ostapenko reached career heights. She is just 20-years-old and should continue to make headlines throughout the 2018 WTA Tour. While the loss in Shenzhen is a setback, Ostapenko should rebound quickly. Stay tuned to see how far Pliskova can advance at the Shenzhen Open. With several top seeds still alive this week, the Czech tennis player will need to continue to dig deep. Check back for updates on all of the early 2018 WTA Tour action this week.

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