By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday November 1, 2023
Ons Jabeur avenged her loss in the Wimbledon final to Marketa Vondrousova, and stayed in contention for a semifinal spot at the WTA Finals.
Photo Source: Getty
Ons Jabeur’s 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marketa Vondrousova was difficult on many levels.
First, the Tunisian overcame a talented opponent who had done nothing but befuddle her in 2023, most notably in the Wimbledon final, where the Czech claimed her first major title by taking out Jabeur 6-4, 6-4.
Second, Jabeur overcame gusty conditions and a court that has been deemed less than playable by many of the women in the eight-player singles field.
Then she overcame her heavy heart.
It all added up to a gratifying – if emotionally draining – evening for Jabeur, who stays alive in the hunt for a semifinal spot in the Chetumal Group.
“It’s tough,” Jabeur said of playing in the difficult conditions. “Sometimes I couldn’t control my emotions. You get frustrated. At the end of the day I tried to remember that [the conditions are the same] for both of us.”
Jabeur broke serve six times from 13 opportunities to snap a three-match losing streak to Vondrousova. She improves to 36-16 on the season.
Jabeur will get another chance for revenge on Friday when she faces Iga Swiatek, the woman who defeated her in the 2022 US Open final.
Coco Gauff, who fell to Swiatek on Wednesday, is also in contention.
The semifinals were the furthest thing from Jabeur’s mind after the match when she did her post-match interview with Andrew Krazny on court.
She broke down in tears several times when talking about the ongoing situation in Palestine, and pledged to donate a significant portion of her prize money to humanitarian aid.
“It’s very tough seeing children and babies dying every day. It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “I can't be happy with this win. It is not a political message, it is humanity. I want peace in this world. That’s it.”