Ons Jabeur continues return to form, downs Jelena Ostapenko in top match at Abu Dhabi Open
WTA
Ons Jabeur continued her resurgent run on the comeback trail on Tuesday seeing off Jelena Ostapenko in two tight sets 7-6(4), 7-5 in the Night Session at the Abu Dhabi Open.
Jabeur needed one hour and 46 minutes to see off Ostapenko for the third consecutive time. She missed the last quarter of 2024 ending her season in Toronto last August due to a shoulder injury.
But unlike some who have yet to recover from injury issues that saw their season end, Jabeur has found a new lease of life again. She has gone a solid 7-3 thus far in 2025 but it nearly went to 6-4 if the first few games were anything to go by.
She went 3-1 down as she failed to put any first serves into play. But the top Arab player was buoyed by great support as she came through down the stretch winning the first four points of the tie-break.
Ostapenko hit 23 unforced errors in the set including four double faults as her errors were her undoing. She had a chance to level the match when she served for the second set at 5-4. But Jabeur battled back on serve again.
She went on to win the final three games of the match with a backhand winner down the line claiming it. She faces Wakana Sonobe next who became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open junior girls' singles title.
The top Junior player right now, she showed now issue adapting to the women's game upsetting Yue Yuan but of course Jabeur is a different kettle of fish entirely as a multiple Grand Slam finalist and for a long time one of the best players on tour.
So that will be the true acid test for Sonobe but for Jabeur, she continues to shine again. While for Ostapenko, it is back to the drawing board.
This girl is ONS fire! 🔥
— wta (@WTA) February 4, 2025
@Ons_Jabeur defeats Ostapenko in a close match 7-6(4), 7-5! #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen pic.twitter.com/z6I0CtlkpJ
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