Ons Jabeur’s hopes of becoming the first African to lift the Rosewater Dish gathered momentum on Sunday as she edged out Belgian Elise Mertens 7-6(9) 6-4 in a topsy-turvy encounter to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second year running.
What it means to win a thrilling first set tie-break š¤ #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/5tHIxgdhuV
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2022
The second-ranked Tunisian, the only seed left in the bottom half of the women’s draw, has been the form player over the opening week of the grasscourt championships as she reached the last eight without dropping a set.
Following the early exits of the two top seeds, Iga Swiatek and Anett Kontaveit, Jabeur knows she has a target on her back.
More than tennis š š#Wimbledon | @Ons_Jabeur pic.twitter.com/dymk0g39Pe
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2022
But the Tunisian said she would stop at nothing to ensure she lifts the most famous dish in women’s tennis come Saturday.
“It’s never easy to play anyone during a Grand Slam. Especially with my position, everybody wants to grab the win,” she said.
“I have my goals very high for this tournament … no matter who’s coming, I’m going to build the fight, I’m going to fight till the end because I really want the title.”
The 27-year-old will next meet 66th-ranked Czech challenger Marie Bouzkova as the Tunisian targets a place in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Topics