Abu Dhabi Open: Elena Rybakina through as Heather Watson eliminated
Defending champion Elena Rybakina made the semi-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open with a 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-4).
In the rematch of the 2022 Wimbledon final – Rebakina won the match – the Kazakh broke in twice and won the opening ceremony in 30 minutes.
Former world No. 2 Jabeur controlled the second set until the third inning entered the tiebreak as Rebakinna failed to convert two games.
World No. 5 Rybakina came from behind and won the tiebreak and took the Swiss wildcard Belinda Bencic on Thursday, 7-5 6-3 Semi-finals.
Elsewhere, the eighth seed Leylah Fernandez was surprised to lose 7-5 4-6 6-2 to Ashlyn Krueger, while Britain’s Heather Heather Watson and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani were beaten by fourth seeds Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic 5-7 6-2 10 in the Women’s Doubles quarterfinals – 3.
Shuai and Mladenovic will face another British man in the last four games – Olivia Nicholls and her Australian partner Olivia Gadecki.
Top seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Ellen Perez relaxed 6-4 6-4 in the quarterfinals against Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, while Vondrousova and Laura Samsonova beat Makoto Ninomiya and Ul rrikke Eikeri Eikeri 6- 4 6-4 6-1.
Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Madison Keys withdraws from the free tennis tournament in Dubai taxes, which began on February 16 due to a leg injury. She has not competed since defeating Aryna Sabalenka, winning her first Grand Slam title last month.
