Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
Ons Jabeur reached the last eight of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open following a straight-sets victory over 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe, setting up a mouthwatering quarter-final tomorrow against reigning champion, Elena Rybakina, who came from behind to beat Katie Volynets.
In arguably the performance of the day, USA’s Ashlyn Krueger produced a stunning fightback to beat last year’s runner-up, Daria Kasatkina, while Belinda Bencic, Marketa Vondrousova, Leylah Fernandez, Linda Noskova and Magda Linette are also through to the last eight.
Fan-favourite Jabeur booked her passage to the last 16 with a superb display against Jelena Ostapenko, but she faced a different type of challenge against rising star Sonobe, who had recorded two qualifying wins before defeating Yue Yan in the Round of 32, just over one week after claiming the girls’ singles title at the Australian Open.
While both players began the match in confident fashion, with Sonobe holding her own for the early part of the first set, her lack of experience against the best players soon became apparent as she lost her last three service games in the first set to fall 1-0 down.
While Sonobe broke Jabeur immediately in the second set, the Tunisian former World Number. 2 quickly regained her composure and began to dictate play, breaking the Japanese youngster twice on her way to a 6-3, 6-3 victory, and a hugely exciting meeting with Rybakina in what is a repeat of the 2022 Wimbledon final.
Looking ahead to the match, Jabeur said: “It’s going to be a tough match. Elena plays really well, and I know she loves playing here on this surface. I will just try to do my best, and focus on myself, and what I can do better on the court.”
Rybakina was forced to come from behind as she saw off Volynets in her first appearance of this year’s tournament. It was a slow start from Rybakina, who dropped the first game of the match on serve, allowing USA’s Volynets to take control, an advantage she wouldn’t relinquish in a hugely impressive first set which she won 6-2.
