Ons Jabeur likes to put on a show for her fans and that’s exactly what she did on Wednesday evening with a dazzling victory over Emma Raducanu at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
As one of the top four seeds, Jabeur received a bye into the second round this week, so this match was her first since an earlier-than-expected exit at the Australian Open last month.
Playing just her third competitive match of the season, any concerns that Jabeur might be undercooked were allayed with a controlled performance as the Tunisian claimed a 6-4, 6-1 win in the last match on Stadium Court.
Jabeur moves on to face Brazilian sixth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia on Friday for a place in the semi-finals, and a repeat of this display would put her in a strong position to go deep this week.
“I’m very happy with the performance today,” Jabeur, 29, said. “I played a great match and I’m hoping to see this level the whole week.”
The world No 6 started fast against Raducanu, controlling the match from the baseline while being solid on serve to race into a 4-1 lead. A wobble when serving for the first set at 5-2 halted her momentum slightly but she made no mistake at the second attempt, closing out the opener with a love service hold.
Jabeur maintained her dominance in the second set, breaking Raducanu’s serve three times in a run of six straight games to close out the victory in just 78 minutes. The Tunisian ended the match with an astounding 35 winners against 11 unforced errors.
It was a markedly improved performance from her last match at the Australian Open, where Jabeur was defeated in less than an hour by 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
“I’m feeling emotionally much better this week, and I had some amazing practice after the Australian Open,” Jabeur said. “I’m trying to take control over what I do.
“Tennis-wise, I’m feeling much better. I’m just trying to enjoy and keep calm on the court, and when I do that I definitely feel like I play my best tennis.”
Raducanu didn’t do all that much wrong, particularly in the first set. She fought well to claw back one of the breaks and for a few games, looked to be matching Jabeur shot for shot.
At the same time, Jabeur never allowed her to gain any real control or rhythm. The Tunisian’s variety and shot selection ultimately proved too tall a challenge on the day.
The second-round loss continues the trend of Raducanu’s comeback season so far. Sidelined since last April following wrist and ankle surgeries, the 2021 US Open champion has been eliminated at the same stage of all three events she’s played this year after encouraging first-round wins.
“It was a tough match. Ons is a difficult opponent so credit to her, she played really well. It’s just a match I need to forget about,” Raducanu, 21, said. “She has amazing hand skills, makes life really hard for you on the court. Her defensive skills are great so that is something I can improve, too.”
Jabeur was just as effusive in her praise for Raducanu and is expecting the Briton to have a successful season.
“She didn’t make it easy for me. Emma is such an amazing player, I wish her all the best,” Jabuer said. “I know she can play much better, I’m a big fan of her. I’m looking forward to seeing her win more matches – not against me, but against other players!”
As always, the fans turned out in strong numbers to support Jabeur, although the British expat community were also getting behind Raducanu to create a great atmosphere inside Stadium Court. She will again enjoy the majority of the support against Brazil’s Haddad Maia on Friday.
“It’s amazing to see the fans out supporting me, and hopefully we’ll see more [in the next match],” Jabeur said. “I don’t think there are too many Brazilians who live in the area!”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Getting%20there%20
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Ftravel%2F2023%2F01%2F12%2Fwhat-does-it-take-to-be-cabin-crew-at-one-of-the-worlds-best-airlines-in-2023%2F%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EEtihad%20Airways%20%3C%2Fa%3Eflies%20daily%20to%20the%20Maldives%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%20The%20journey%20takes%20four%20hours%20and%20return%20fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C995.%20Opt%20for%20the%203am%20flight%20and%20you%E2%80%99ll%20land%20at%206am%2C%20giving%20you%20the%20entire%20day%20to%20adjust%20to%20island%20time.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERound%20trip%20speedboat%20transfers%20to%20the%20resort%20are%20bookable%20via%20Anantara%20and%20cost%20%24265%20per%20person.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
