Tunisian star Ons Jabeur claims 1st round victory over Vera Zvonareva at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

DUBAI: Ons Jabeur overcame veteran Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in a center court thriller on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but third seed Paula Badosa suffered a shock defeat by qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Jabeur, who was unable to play at the Australian Open due to a back injury suffered in Sydney and was playing her first match in more than a month, showed great resilience as the clock moved past two hours and the match moved toward its climax. Zvonareva opened the door by serving two consecutive double faults that allowed Jabeur to break to lead 6-5 in the final set, but the Tunisian then had to fight off three break points before securing victory on her second match point.

“Very, very tough match. I tried to be focused as much as possible,” said Jabeur. “She plays good. It’s not easy to play her. Honestly I didn’t feel so many shots. I think lack of matches didn’t help me much. I’m glad that the little experience I had helped me to win this match today.

“I tried to not, like, let her get in my head, not let myself get in my head. Sometimes with a lot of mistakes, it’s not easy to be focused, to let the frustration take over. I felt like today I got angry a little bit, but not as much as before. I’m really happy with the fact I maintained calm, belief to win until the last second of the match.”

Two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina advanced against the promising Egyptian Mayar Sherif, who showed her potential by winning the 2019 African Games, and is the first Egyptian woman to reach the top 100 and first to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam.

Although Sherif was beaten 6-2, 6-3, she cherished the opportunity to test herself against top-class opposition.

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