Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur cruised into her first quarter final of the 2024 season with a 6-4 6-1 win over 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Jabeur made her debut at the Abu Dhabi tournament after missing last year’s edition due to a knee injury.
The Tunisian player clinched her second match win of the 2024 season. She beat qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva before losing 6-2 6-0 to 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the second round at the Australian Open.
Jabeur broke twice in the first and fifth games to race out to a 5-1 lead and held two set points at 5-2 and two more chances at 5-3.
Raducanu saved three set points before breaking back to trail 3-5. The British player held serve to win her third consecutive game for 4-5. Jabeur held serve at love in the 10th game to win the first set 6-4 in 50 minutes.
Jabeur converted her fourth break point in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. She did not lose any more games and broke for the second time in the fifth game to win the second set 6-1. Raducanu missed the last eight months of the 2023 season due to injury problems. The British player is 0-5 against top 10 players.
“I try to show the best of me on and off the court. I come from a small country that has a lot of potential. I am very proud to be a Tunisian and an Arab woman to show that nothing is impossible”,said Jabeur.
Jabeur set up a quarter final match against Beatriz Haddad Maia, who beat Magda Linette 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 after 3 hours and 42 minutes in the longest match of the 2024 season so far.
“Haddad Maia is an unbelievable player. I know that she is enjoying playing here so much. It’s going to be a tough match but I will try my best, and hopefully I am going to be a tough match, but I will try my best, and hopefully I am going to be ready for this match”, said Jabeur.
Linette earned an early break in the first game of the opening set. Haddad Maia broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Both players traded four mini-breaks in a close tie-break. Haddad Maia earned her fifth mini-break to win the first set. Both players traded breaks in the eighth and ninth games and held their next service games en route to a second tie-break. Linette earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-1. Haddad Maia broke twice in the decider 6-1 and sealed the win on her fourth match point.
Anastasia Potapova beat Veronika Kudemertova 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 in the third round in Brisbane in the previous longest match of the 2024 season.
Haddad Maia is a specialist of matches that last over three hours. Last year she beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 7-5 in the Roland Garros fourth round.
Haddad Maia has reached her first quarter final of the 2024 season.
“I think my team need to take care of their hearts. It’s not easy to manage the emotions. In the tie-break, I was a little bit frustrated, and that caused another set. There one quality for me that is very important, and it’s that I never give up and I always try one time”, said Haddad Maia.
Number 7 seed Daria Kasatkina beat 19-year-old qualifier Ashlyn Krueger. Kasatkina set up a quarter final against Sorana Cristea, who cruised past Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-1 in 1 hour and 16 minutes. Kasatkina broke twice in the first and third games to win the first set 6-2. The Russian player earned three breaks to win the second set 6-1.
Kasatkina beat Cristea in straight sets in Madrid 2018. Cristea avenged this defeat by beating Kasatkina at 2021 Roland Garros.
