Jabeur to meet Vondrousova in final
Ons Jabeur (left) and Marketa Vondrousova
Ons Jabeur battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday to reach the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year where she will play Marketa Vondrousova at the Centre Court of the All-England Club today.
Jabeur, who finished runner-up to Elena Rybakina in 2022, triumphed 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 to complete a superb comeback and end Sabalenka’s hopes of becoming the new world number one.
Jabeur led the first-set tiebreak but dumped a backhand into the net and then sent a forehand long as Sabalenka forged ahead. She seemed set to capitulate at 2-2 in the second with a double fault putting Sabalenka in control. But the Belarusian tightened up horribly and a double fault gave Jabeur a breakpoint which she converted for 4-4.
With the Centre Court crowd right behind her, Jabeur somehow saved a break point by staying in a ridiculous rally until Sabalenka smashed a forehand wide, and then levelled the match with an unstoppable return on to the baseline.
The 28-year-old piled the pressure on the Sabalenka serve and won a nerve-jangling game with a third breakpoint to go 4-2 up in the decider. Sabalenka saved two match points on serve but Jabeur finished the job behind her own with an ace before raising her arms in triumph.
Meanwhile, Marketa Vondrousova reached her maiden Wimbledon final as she defeated a weary Elina Svitolina to win 6-3, 6-3. Vondrousova’s victory makes her the first unseeded Women’s finalist at Wimbledon since 1963.
This is Vondrousova’s first significant Grand Slam run since she made the final at the French Open in 2019 as a teenager, losing to Ashleigh Barty. The Czech mixes big hits from the baseline with drop shots, lobs and short angles and she wrapped up the first set in less than half an hour, breaking Svitolina’s serve three times in a row. (C.D)