"I saw Venus Williams did it yesterday": Ons Jabeur used Venus Williams as inspiration behind Cincinnati comeback return

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur has credited the former world number one America’s Venus Williams for her comeback win at the Cincinnati Open.

The 28-year-old made a great comeback and defeated Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of the competition with a score of 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 on Tuesday.

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While talking about it, Jabeur, who is playing in the first major event after suffering a heartbreaking defeat at Wimbledon 2023, stated that she used Williams' recent performance as a source of motivation to get over the line in the fixture.

"I mean, a lot of things, a lot of frustration. I thought about a lot of things. First, the crowd really helped me get into, not giving up,” she said. “I heard some people telling me not to give up. And I saw Venus did it yesterday, coming back from 5-1.

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“She’s an inspiration for me and for many players so I’ve got to thank her for the comeback today. Very happy with the win. It was very tough, but I’m glad that I kept fighting, kept playing point by point, and I’m glad that I got the win in the end.”

Williams defeated Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the round of 64 clash with a score of 6-4, 7-5 on Monday.

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PURE. GRIT. 😤 A gutsy win from @Ons_Jabeur, defeating Kalinina 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(2)! #CincyTennis

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