There were mixed fortunes for Arab players on the second day of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as Tunisia's Ons Jabeur battled into the second round, shortly after Egyptian Mayar Sherif was eliminated.
Jabeur, the world No 10, was forced to dig deep to get past Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in her first match since recovering from the back injury that forced her to miss the Australian Open.
“Very, very tough match,” Jabeur, 27, said. “It's great to be back. I feel like I haven't been playing so many matches lately. The most important thing was to be healthy and to be able to finish this match.”
That encounter on Centre Court immediately followed Sherif's Dubai debut, where the fast-rising Egyptian came up short against two-time champion Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3.
“I was a little nervous,” Sherif said. “I haven't played many matches like this, but it was a good experience that I think will help my game in the future.”
Jabeur may be lacking in match practice, but she initially looked like she had never been away, racing into a one-set lead after winning four games in a row.
However, the Tunisian curiously lost all momentum at the start of the second set as errors flew off the racquet, allowing Zvonareva to move 4-0 ahead. Jabeur clawed one of the breaks back but was broken again while serving to stay in the set.
What followed was a tense and nervy decider, in which Jabeur took the early control with a break to lead 2-1. Zvonareva battled back to level at 3-3 only to hand the advantage back to the eighth seed at 6-5. Jabeur made hard work of serving out the match but after saving three break points, closed out the victory after two hours and six minutes.
“Today was up and down for sure,” said Jabeur, who takes on American Jessica Pegula in the second round. “I tried to be focused as much as possible. Sometimes with a lot of mistakes, it's not easy to be focused, to not let the frustration take over.”
Jabuer was able to catch some of Sherif's match against Svitolina and is convinced the Egyptian will go far on the WTA Tour. Sherif, 25, has surged up the world rankings, from being outside the top 130 in November 2020 to her current position of No 65.
“Mayar is a great player,” Jabeur said. “It's so nice to see her here. I know it's not easy to start these tournaments. I've been there. It was very tough to win the first rounds. I am hundred per cent sure she is going to get there.”
The scoreline may suggest otherwise but Sherif gave Svitolina a solid test, particularly in the second set where she fought back from 4-0 down to break the Ukrainian world No 15 and had the chance to get back on serve with a another break point opportunity in the eighth game.
“Even though I wasn't serving or returning well, I still had chances in the second set that I didn't take,” Sherif said. “That was the point where it was mentally very tough. But I think it was a positive experience because I see where the level is, I see where I'm at, and how to take my game forward and improve.”
Like all Arab tennis players making their way through the professional ranks, Sherif is inspired by Jabeur and said the Tunisian's trailblazing achievements are motivating her to accomplish her own goals.
“Having Ons around, the position she is right now, it just gives you so much hope,” Sherif said. “It gives you a lot of confidence, it gives you a way to be patient, hoping for that to come. I can't wait to play more tournaments while she's there, and hopefully to get to play a doubles match with her. So let's see.”