Impressive Jabeur edges Mertens to reach Wimbledon quarter-final

Ons Jabeur's hopes of becoming the first African to lift the Rosewater Dish gathered momentum on Sunday as she edged out Belgian Elise Mertens 7-6 (9) 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second year running.

The second-ranked Tunisian, the only seed left in the bottom half of the women's draw, has been the form player over the opening week of the championships as she reached the last eight without dropping a set.

But Mertens was no pushover during the contest, as she earned five set points during a marathon first-set tiebreak.

Once Jabeur, 27, produced the firepower to wriggle out of trouble, however, she raised her game in the second set and wrapped up the win when Mertens surrendered with a double fault.

She will next meet 66th-ranked Czech challenger Marie Bouzkova as the Tunisian aims for a place in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.