Jabeur breezes past Kvitová with clinical victory in Sydney

Ons Jabeur kicked off her 2022 season with an easy win over Petra Kvitová at the Sydney Tennis Classic, booking her spot into the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The Tunisian scored a 6-4 6-4 win over the two-time Grand Slam champion, outplaying her opponent as she displayed the form that saw her end last year on a strong note. The seventh seed was efficient on serve, winning 22 out of 29 points behind her first serve. Both ladies exchanged breaks in the first set, with Jabeur maintaining enough momentum to see her obtain the crucial break and win the first set.

The second set saw Jabeur rely on her improved serve, winning 80% of points on her first serve. This enabled the World No.10 to save three break points, in addition to putting Kvitová on the defensive end to start each point.

Despite the Czech's sublime shot-making ability, it was Jabeur who outlasted her opponent. With Kvitová serving at 4-5 to stay in the match, Jabeur employed her crafty style of play to secure the final break. The 27-year old claimed the match after 88 minutes, notching her first win over Kvitová after three previous attempts.

Jabeur will face fourth seed Anett Kontaveit in the quarterfinals, as the Estonian raced past Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her round of 16 match earlier in the day.