Ons Jabeur's revenge win against Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon quarter-finals secured her a spot in the last four and setting up a face-off with Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon 2023.
In a thrilling rematch of last year's Wimbledon final, Ons Jabeur turned the tables on Elena Rybakina, rallying from behind to secure a spot in the semi-finals. On Centre Court, the Tunisian sixth seed triumphed over her third-ranked opponent with a hard-fought 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1 victory. Jabeur, 28, will now face Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka for a chance to advance to Saturday's Wimbledon 2023 final at the All England Club.
Expressing her satisfaction with the performance, Jabeur acknowledged the emotional roller coaster of facing an opponent with a strong serve. She emphasized the importance of managing her emotions throughout the match, ranging from frustration to calm and focused determination, and hopes to maintain this balance in her upcoming matches.
"I'm very happy with the performance -- a lot of emotion out there, especially playing someone that serves really well," she said. "It's frustrating to return but I'm glad I did everything, shouted, got angry, then got calm and focused and hopefully I can manage my emotions like this for the next two matches."
In the opening set, it was Rybakina who struck first, breaking Jabeur's serve and taking a 3-1 lead. However, the Tunisian quickly retaliated and broke back to level the score at 5-5. Jabeur then capitalized on a loose volley from Rybakina to secure a 6-5 advantage. Nevertheless, she failed to consolidate her lead, squandering a set point and allowing Rybakina to force a tie-break, which the Kazakh player ultimately won.
The second set witnessed a battle of resilience, with Rybakina fending off break points and Jabeur digging deep on her serve to maintain a 3-2 lead. Both players held their serves until the 10th game, when Rybakina faltered, enabling Jabeur to level the match.
In the decisive third set, Jabeur seized control, surging to a 3-0 lead and successfully saving two break points to extend her advantage to 4-1. With a powerful backhand down the line, she secured another crucial break and confidently held her serve to clinch the victory, releasing a roar of delight.
