Ons Jabeur didn't find her best tennis in Australia, but she did really well in her first match at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open, setting up a clash against Beatriz Haddad Maia.
This is such a delightful matchup on paper, especially if the players show their best tennis. Then it will be a proper treat because there are some of the best tennis players in the world. Let's start with Jabeur, who had a bad time in Australia.
She did much better in her first match in the Middle East, crushing Emma Raducanu easily in two sets. That's a level that should give Haddad Maia pause, especially since her performances so far in Abu Dhabi haven't been spectacular.
The super-consistent Brazilian is a nice counter to Jabeur's play, but she had to endure a really long and tough battle with Magda Linette, so we'll have to wait and see whether she will fatigue from that.
Head-to-head:
They have played two times so far, and Jabeur won the first match while Haddad Maia won the second one. The first one happened last year in Stuttgart, and the Tunisian won that one. The one at Roland Garros a month after that was spectacularly won by Haddad Maia, highlighting what a nice counter she can be.
Jabeur plays one of the most flashy styles on the WTA Tour, but she fluctuates wildly during a match. Performances like the one against Raducanu, where she's solid for much of it, are kind of rare. That's a problem against Haddad Maia, who might as well be a wall.
| Ons Jabeur | Beatriz Haddad Maia | |
| 1 | H2H | 1 |
| 6 | Rank | 13 |
| 29 | Age | 27 |
| 2-1 | 2024 W/L | 5-3 |
| 430-233 | Career W/L | 430-220 |
Prediction:
The conditions in Abu Dhabi should favor Jabeur more because the higher bounce should give her time to really set up and unleash from the baseline. The same goes for Haddad Maia, but the variety Jabeur has could create more options for her. Overall, I've been more impressed with Jabeur, so I'll back her to win.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.
0 Comments