Emma Raducanu started the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open with a solid win, but can she make it a streak against Ons Jabeur.
The Brit hasn't won many matches this year, but her best performance by far happened recently at the Abu Dhabi Open. She faced a really tricky player, Marie Bouzkova, and bested her in two sets.
The courts in Abu Dhabi play exactly how Raducanu likes them, and we saw her demonstrate that in practice during the match.
It wasn't a perfect match, as the start was rather bumpy, but it was a rather interesting one, and Raducanu was able to keep her cool. She'll need more of that against Jabeur, who actually played her on these very courts.
Jabeur hasn't had a very good season so far, but she'll enjoy a return to Abu Dhabi, where she was welcomed warmly in the past.
Head-to-head:
Their only match was an exhibition match that happened two years ago on the same courts where this match will be played. There are some things we can take from that, but nobody should believe that they played that match with full effort.
Still, Jabeur was able to win that match in three sets, though the final set was a match tie-break, which the Tunisian won 10-8. It was a competitive match with a lot of twists and turns, and this upcoming one should be like that as well.
| Emma Raducanu | Ons Jabeur | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 296 | Rank | 6 |
| 21 | Age | 29 |
| 3-2 | 2024 W/L | 1-1 |
| 100-51 | Career W/L | 420-333 |
Prediction
One thing to remember in this matchup is that neither possesses a spectacular serve. Both love to attack, and we'll see plenty of aggressive returns with the bounce in Abu Dhabi. It will come down to who handles those moments better.
The player who keeps her cool in most rallies will emerge as the winner because this will be a matchup of trading blows. There may be a drop shot here and there.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.
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