Ons Jabeur saw her French Open campaign come to an end in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, but there are plenty of positives the Tunisian can take from Paris after a difficult start to the season.
Jabeur, 29, has endured another injury-hit year, with her chronic knee problem continuing to cause setbacks. When the world No 9 has been available to play, she's understandably been below her best; for a player who relies so heavily on touch, feel and timing, match sharpness is vital.
Only once this season had Jabeur won two successive matches – at the Madrid Open last month where she won three – so a deep run at Roland Garros was more hoped than expected.
Yet, the Tunisian played some of her best tennis of the season over the past 10 days in Paris, suggesting that even while she hasn't fully recovered from her knee injury, and may never, she's at least managed it effectively.
Better still, for the first set-and-a-half of her quarter-final against third seed Coco Gauff on Tuesday, it was vintage Jabeur; the eighth seed toyed with the US Open champion, who simply had no answer to Jabeur's giant box of tricks.
She was seeing the ball like a beach ball, timing her shots to perfection and reading Gauff's serve like a book. There was power and purpose in her groundstrokes, the slice stayed low and deep, and of course the trademark Jabeur drop-shot was dialled in. That Jabeur won the opening set 6-4, sealed with line-painting ace, flattered Gauff.
Then it all got a bit ragged. Jabeur looked to be closing out another routine hold when serving at 1-2 in the second set, but from 40-15 she lost three straight points - two of them loose errors - to hand her American opponent a 3-1 lead.
She fought back superbly in the next game to get the set back on serve, but was broken to love in the next game. The shots that had bamboozled Gauff were now flying long and wide, the frustration starting to take hold, as the world No 3 levelled the match 6-2.
There was, however, still a moment of magic amid the second-set collapse when Jabeur produced arguably the point of the tournament. Sent chasing by a couple of cross-court shots from Gauff, Jabeur made two lunging retrievals to stay in the point before racing on to a shot that clipped the baseline and hitting an outrageous half-volley top-spin winner on the run. A common occurrence in the first set, those moments of brilliance were becoming fewer and farther between.
Jabeur regrouped well for the start of the deciding set, but a break in the fourth game that gave Gauff a 3-1 advantage ultimately delivered the death knell to her French Open hopes. The pair traded service games for the remainder of the match until Gauff sealed a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory when Jabeur sent a routine smash wide.
“She was playing really well the whole match. She was hitting a lot of winners on me, which is something I’m not used to against anybody,” Gauff said of Jabeur, who hit 30 winners. “So today I was just trying to just be aggressive toward the end.”
“She’s a tough opponent and she’s well-loved on tour. I could tell by the crowd today — I know you guys wanted her to win. Honestly, whenever she’s not playing (me), I cheer for her, too,” Gauff said.
“Even though you guys were for Ons, I really had a lot of fun, even when I lost the first set and they were chanting when I was in the bathroom. I was like, ‘This is just really fun, win or lose.’ It is.”
While the match could be viewed from the perspective of Jabeur losing it, rather than Gauff winning it, the American deserves plenty of credit for hanging tough and waiting for her opportunities.
Gauff, a French Open finalist in 2022, will face an even more formidable opponent in the semi-finals after world No 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek bulldozed past Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2.
Other than a tough, tight three-set triumph over four-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the second round last week, Swiatek has been at her dominant best at Roland Garros, showing why she has led the world rankings nearly every week since April 2022 and is the firm favourite to collect Grand Slam title.
As for Jabeur, she will now head into the grass court swing, and her most successful surface, safe in the knowledge that her game is operating better than it has all year. If she can keep her knee from misbehaving, the Tunisian star should be full of confidence and ambition heading into Wimbledon, where she's reached the past two finals.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
Results
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MO
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ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Kibsons%20Cares
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
Company%20profile
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PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Race card
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; 5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; 6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
