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Rybakina Advances to Semi-finals at Abu Dhabi Open
Defending champion Elena Rybakina has reached the semi-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open following a hard-fought victory over Ons Jabeur, winning 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).
This match served as a rematch of the 2022 Wimbledon final, where Rybakina also emerged victorious. The Kazakh player started strong, breaking Jabeur’s serve twice in the first set and securing it in less than 30 minutes.
In the second set, Jabeur, a former world number two, displayed impressive control and resilience, managing to level the match. The decisive third set saw Rybakina struggle to convert two match points, ultimately leading to a tie-break. However, she maintained her composure, rallying to win the tie-break and clinch her spot in the semi-finals.
Rybakina’s victory sets up a clash against Swiss wildcard Belinda Bencic, who advanced after defeating Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-3 in her quarter-final match on Thursday.
In other results, eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez faced an unexpected defeat, falling to world number 51 Ashlyn Krueger with scores of 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. Additionally, Britain’s Heather Watson and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani were eliminated in the women’s doubles quarter-finals by the fourth-seeded duo of Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic, who won 5-7, 6-2, 10-3. Shuai and Mladenovic are now set to compete against British player Olivia Nicholls and her Australian partner Olivia Gadecki in the next round.
Top-seeded pairs Jelena Ostapenko and Ellen Perez progressed smoothly, defeating Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Meanwhile, Vondrousova and Laura Samsonova secured a convincing victory over Makoto Ninomiya and Ulrikke Eikeri, winning 6-4, 6-1.
In related news, Australian Open champion Madison Keys has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, scheduled to begin on February 16, due to a leg injury. Keys has not competed since winning her first Grand Slam title last month against Aryna Sabalenka.
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