Rybakina Overcomes Jabeur in a Thrilling Quarterfinal
Top-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan endured a significant challenge from Ons Jabeur of Tunisia before securing a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) victory in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Thursday.
Jabeur displayed resilience, saving two consecutive match points in the 12th game of the third set to force a tiebreaker. The Tunisian held a 4-2 lead in the decisive breaker before Rybakina responded with five consecutive points to clinch the match.
With the victory, Rybakina remains the last seeded player standing in the tournament after Ashlyn Krueger of the United States upset eighth seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
Krueger, a 20-year-old American with one WTA singles title, dominated on serve, out-acing Fernandez 8-1 while saving five of 11 break points. She also broke Fernandez’s serve eight times, demonstrating impressive control in key moments.
Abu Dhabi Open Semifinal Matchups:
- Elena Rybakina (1) vs. Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)
- Ashlyn Krueger vs. Linda Noskova (Czech Republic)
Bencic secured her place in the semifinals by defeating 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-3. Meanwhile, Noskova advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette.
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Transylvania Open: Bronzetti and Potapova Advance
At the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti eliminated third-seeded American Peyton Stearns in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (1), securing her place in the quarterfinals.
Bronzetti’s strong serving performance, including eight aces and zero double faults, allowed her to control the match. She now faces seventh seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who cruised past Romania’s Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-0 in just 69 minutes.
Other Key Results:
- No. 1 seed Anastasia Potapova (Russia) defeated Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) 6-4, 7-5
- Fifth seed Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) battled past Caroline Dolehide (USA) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
- Ella Seidel (Germany) overcame Anna Blinkova (Russia) 6-2, 7-6 (5)
As the Transylvania Open heads into the final rounds, top-seeded Potapova remains a strong favorite to claim the title.
Looking Ahead
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and Transylvania Open are shaping up to deliver thrilling semifinal matchups. Rybakina will need to maintain her composure against Bencic, while Krueger aims for another upset against Noskova. Meanwhile, Potapova continues her campaign in Romania, facing tough competition as she eyes the title.
Both tournaments will conclude this weekend, setting the stage for key momentum-building performances ahead of the WTA’s upcoming major events.
