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HomeSportTunisia's Ons Jabeur becomes 1st Arab, African woman to reach Grand Slam...

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur becomes 1st Arab, African woman to reach Grand Slam final in Open Era

Jabeur, 27, made history at Wimbledon Thursday after she beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to make it to women's finals. She is currently ranked world number 2 by WTA.

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New Delhi: Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur lifted the spirits of an entire continent in London Thursday when she became the first Arab and the first African woman to reach the Wimbledon final.

She is also the first Arab to make it to the finals of a tennis Grand Slam.

After making it to the last eight in 2021 – another first for an Arab woman — Jabeur took it a step further this year when the 27-year-old beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria in one hour, forty three minutes to make it to the women’s finals.

She is currently ranked world number two by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

Jabeur dominated the match early on, but friend Maria would not give it up without a fight.

The German saved three break points in the opening game, but dropped serve in the third and seventh games. Jabeur won the opening set when Maria smacked a backhand long.

Maria fought back and broke Jabeur for a 3-1 lead in the second set, which she went on to win. But the Tunisian won the third set easily, 6-1, to reach the finals.

In the final on Saturday, Jabeur will face Russian-born Kazakh Elena Rybakina who routed 2019 women’s champion Simona Halep in the other semi-final.

“I’m a proud Tunisian woman standing here today,” Jabeur said on center court Thursday, in front of a cheering crowd. “I want to see more not just Tunisian, but African, Arab players on tour.”

The other African women to reach a Grand Slam final before Jabeur were from South Africa — Irene Bowder Peacock, at the 1927 French Open, and Renee Schuurman, in the 1959 Australian Open.

Jabeur has broken records for Tunisia and her region for the past four years. She has won 22 of her 24 matches and now has the chance to win the biggest title of all.

The only other Tunisian woman to enter the Top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) before Jabeur was Selima Sfar, ranking 75 in July 2001.


Also read: Not Russia, a point-less Wimbledon 2022 affects young tennis players most


 

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