Ons Jabeur continues to make history at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The World Rankings 101 is the first Tunisian to reach the final of a WTA tournament.
The fact that it is even a premier event makes Jabeur even happier. As a qualifier, the pioneer of her country played her way into the final of the indoor tournament, which was endowed with 867,766 dollars.
And the list of her “victims” this week is as long as it is prestigious. One after the other – from the first round onwards in chronological order: the uncomfortable left-hander Ekatertina Makarova (Russia), French Open finalist Sloane Stephens (USA), Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) in sixth place – and in the semi-final on Friday the formidable US Open semi-finalist Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia).
In the duel with Sevastova, Jabeur won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and the 24-year-old from Tunis, who was loudly supported by some fellow countrymen in the ranks, was well aware of the historical dimension of her success.
“It’s really great what’s happening here. I gave it all, and it wasn’t easy, really. In the end, my fans in the stands helped me,” said Tweener specialist Jabeur. It all fits this week: She even feels a bit at home in Moscow. No wonder, her husband is half Russian.
In her biggest match to date, Jabeur, who won the junior title at the 2011 French Open in Paris, will meet Daria Kasatkina on Saturday. The sixth seeded Russian played her way into the final of the Kremlin Cup through a 6:4, 6:3 against the former Wimbledon semi-finalist Johanna Konta (Great Britain).
The tableau of the tournament in Moscow