Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian pro, who made it to three Grand Slam finals last year, failed even to cross the second round of several tournaments this year. From the start of the year, she has failed to make an impact on the tour and is yet to play her best.
Ever since Abu Dhabi, Jabeur had not even won a single match. Four tournaments later, the Tunisian still remained winless. Entering the Stuttgart Open, Jabeur won her first match after a tight game of tennis. From a set down, she made her way back into the contest and booked her spot in the next round.
Jabeur was now up against an in-form Jasmine Paolini, who has had a great season so far, including a win in Dubai. It was a WTA 1000 tournament, and the Italian had beaten many top players to register a huge win. She had the same look in her eyes as she took on Ons Jabeur with full intensity.
Despite a challenging first-set win, Paolini managed to beat the Tunisian in straight sets and register another victory in Stuttgart. Having enjoyed the game, Paolini thanked the crowd and even praised Jabeur for an amazing game before going on to hail Jabeur as one of the best players in the world. She went on to state that the Tunisian is good for the sport.
Jasmine Paolini recorded her fourth Top-10 win after punching her ticket to the third round at the Stuttgart Open
Italian sensation Jasmine Paolini is one player whose name has been on the top this year. After a bad start, she caught up in Dubai and continued her performance in the next few tournaments, before replicating the same at the ongoing Stuttgart Open, as she made her way into the quarter-finals.
Furthermore, the win over Jabeur was her fourth top-10 win in her career, as she closes in on the rankings. The Italian will now face the dangerous Elena Rybakina as they play for the spot in the last four.
Initially, these two were supposed to play in earlier tournaments, but Rybakina withdrew because she wasn’t keeping well. Now both Rybakina and Paolini will hope to play their best tennis for a spot in the semis.
More must-reads: