adminLONDON. – Ons Jabeur will take on Tatjana Maria in the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
Tunisia’s Jabeur became the first Arab to reach a major semi-final.
Jabeur is the highest ranked player left in the draw and is bidding to become the first woman from Africa to win a major.
A quarter-finalist here last year and at the Australian Open in 2020, she had already become the first Arab woman to reach the last eight at a major and is delighted to have gone one better.
“I’m glad that I can – because I was talking a little bit to [Moroccan former Grand Slam quarter-finalist] Hicham Arazi, and he told me, ‘Arabs always lose in the quarter-finals and we are sick of it. Please break this.’ I was, like, ‘I’ll try, my friend, don’t put this in my hand’.
“We were just texting, and he was really happy. He was, like, ‘Thank you for finally making the semi-final. Now you can really go and get the title’.”
Against Bouzkova, Jabeur made a nervous start, with her trademark volleys often finding the net as Bouzkova matched her for pace and deftness.
The Czech broke for a 3-2 lead and staved off two break points from Jabeur later on with a brilliant backhand pick-up, before taking the set on a netted Jabeur volley.
However, Jabeur has enjoyed a sterling season and instantly fought back, saying she “woke up” and upped her winners and her aggression to race through the second set.
She was the stronger of the two in the decider, the light touches from the racquet finally finding their mark, and she lifted her arms in triumph to soak up the applause from Centre Court.
“I was really tight at the beginning of the first set and I didn’t make my shots. I wasn’t feeling like it was me really playing. Maybe my sister was. I’m not sure,” she said.
“But I’m happy that I was serving maybe a little bit better, stepping on the court, and that’s me waking up, really.” – BBC Sport
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter