Emma Raducanu suffers bruising loss to Ons Jabeur at Abu Dhabi Open
Emma Raducanu's bid to reach the last eight of the Abu Dhabi Open was ended in straight sets by the world No 6 Ons Jabeur.
Emma Raducanu's Defeat to Ons Jabeur
Emma Raducanu's hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open were dashed in a straight-set defeat to the 6th-ranked player in the world, Ons Jabeur.
Raducanu, a British player who recently returned to the court after undergoing surgery on her wrists and ankle, had shown promising progress in her comeback. However, she was unable to match the strength and skill of Jabeur, who has reached the Wimbledon final twice in previous years.
In the first set, Raducanu struggled to hold serve, dropping the opening game and falling behind at 5-1. Despite a valiant effort to come back, including saving three set points and breaking Jabeur's serve, she ultimately lost the set in 50 minutes.
Dominance of Ons Jabeur
The second set saw Jabeur continue her dominance, hitting a total of 35 winners throughout the match. Raducanu, who had not reached a quarter-final since September 2022, was unable to find a response to Jabeur's relentless attack and ultimately bowed out.
"She didn't make it easy for me, obviously," Jabeur commented in her on-court interview. "Emma is such an amazing player, I wish her all the best because I know she can play much better. I am a big fan of hers. Emma had an amazing experience at the US Open and everybody followed her. She's had an amazing career. Everyone has a different story, we struggle a lot, we go through a lot of things. But a lot of amazing women play on the tour."
Despite the loss, Raducanu's performance and resilience were praised by Jabeur, highlighting the strong competition among women players in tennis.
