Emma Raducanu easily beaten by Ons Jabeur as Abu Dhabi Open run comes to an end

Ons Jabeur will face Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Quarter-Finals of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open after taking down Emma Raducanu with ease 6-4, 6-1 in just over an hour in one of her best performance since last year's US Open as the Tunisian proved too good for the returning Brit.

As well as Naomi Osaka being one of the leading stories in the draw in potentially facing Elena Rybakina, it was actually the former US Open champion who made it through to her big clash. But it was her biggest test on paper since her return to the sport in Auckland and the class of Jabeur was on evidence.

Raducanu made a good start to the opening game, but was broken immediately despite going 40-15 up as the Tunisian took advantage of errors. She went 4-1 up from there as she started off in a superb rhythm but again Raducanu had a 40-15 lead on her serve and spurned it as a challenge proved the catalyst for Jabeur to head towards a double break. Raducanu though hit back as she kept the set alive with a break back at 3-5 down. But at 5-4, Jabeur overhit Raducanu and sent shots out of her reach to take the first two points. After four previous set points, the fifth proved to be a success.

Jabeur went 2-1 up in the second set as again Raducanu hauled herself back into the game only for the Tunisian to finish it off. Errors aplenty started to signal the end for the Brit as Jabeur broke again and went one away with two lovely drop shots the highlight to go 40-15 up before putting the icing on the cake for 5-1. Raducanu was striking the ball a lot cleaner on her service game forcing a slip from Jabeur, but she got up to lead the game and on her match point, it was job done. Encouragement from Raducanu, but in reality Jabeur was too good.