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Ons Jabeur reaches Wimbledon quarterfinals

Ons Jabeur set up a quarter-final repeat of last year’s Wimbledon showpiece against Elena Rybakina after crushing out-of-sorts former champion Petra Kvitova 6-0 6-3 in a Centre Court demolition job on Monday. Her crowd-pleasing variety of slice, drop shot and change of pace and angle left the 2011 and 2014 champion flailing from the start as the Tunisian raced through the first set in 22 minutes. The ninth-seeded Czech had the briefest of recoveries in the second but it did not last and Jabeur marched on. The Associated Press has the story:

Ons Jabeur reaches Wimbledon quarterfinals

Newslooks- WIMBLEDON, England (AP)

Ons Jabeur is getting another shot at Elena Rybakina, a year after losing to her in the Wimbledon final.

It’s just the quarterfinals this time around, but the Tunisian player has to go through the defending champion to have a chance of winning her first Grand Slam tournament.

The sixth-seeded Jabeur routed two-time champion Petra Kvitova 6-0, 6-3 on Monday in the fourth round at the All England Club.

“I’m probably going for my revenge,” Jabeur said on court. “It was a difficult final last year. It’s going to bring a lot of memories.”

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur smiles as she plays Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in a women’s singles match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Jabeur has been a Grand Slam runner-up twice — both times last year. After losing to Rybakina in three sets at Wimbledon, she lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets at the U.S. Open — falling just short of becoming the first African or Arab woman to win a major tennis tournament in the sport’s professional era.

Two things jump out to Jabeur when she thinks about the Wimbledon loss to Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan but was born in Russia.

“The fact that I was really exhausted like emotionally,” she began. “I wanted to keep pushing, but I felt little bit empty. Second thing, maybe what my coach kept telling me, to stick more to the plan, to do certain things, even though I was thinking something else in that match.”

Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova waves to the crowd as she leaves the court after losing to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in a women’s singles match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The 28-year-old Jabeur hopes to “play more freely, just think about each point and not the results.”

Mission accomplished on Monday, when Jabeur felt free enough on Centre Court to execute a David Beckham-style — Jabeur is a fan of the England great — half-volley kick on a bouncing ball while up a set and 3-1.

Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, left, is greeted by Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina after she had to retire injured from their women’s singles match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The ninth-seeded Kvitova, who eliminated Jabeur in the first round at Wimbledon in 2019, dug herself a hole from the start, committing a double-fault and three unforced errors to hand Jabeur a service break in the first game.

Rybakina advanced Monday when Beatriz Haddad Maia retired from their match with a lower back injury with Rybakina leading 4-1.

Russia’s Mirra Andreeva speaks with chair umpire Louise Azemar Engzell over a disputed decision as she plays Madison Keys of the US in a women’s singles match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

“Now I’m feeling much better and more confident coming and playing on Centre Court,” Rybakina said. “It is different from the first round. I think it was just overall the atmosphere and the nerves to play the first match to get used to the grass, just to play some matches here. I think now mentally I’m much better. Physically also good now.”

In other women’s results, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals by beating No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0. The Australian Open champion will next face Madison Keys. The American, seeded No. 25, defeated 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

On Tuesday, top-ranked Iga Swiatek plays Elina Svitolina on Centre Court for a spot in the semifinals, and fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula faces Marketa Vondrousova in the day’s other women’s quarterfinal match.

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