Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, cheered on by the small Qatar Open crowd like a home star, on Wednesday deployed masterful racket work, landing crucial shots out of rival and second seed Karolina Pliskova’s reach, but was inconsistent, succumbing 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in their second-round clash in Doha.
It was Jabeur who defeated the Czech during their last encounter in Doha last year, but this time it was 2017 Qatar champion Pliskova who booked her ticket to her first hard-court quarter-final since the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last year.
The Tunisian dug deep to secure crucial points, including an ace in the sixth game of the second set that ramped up pressure on the more experienced Pliskova.
Photo: EPA-EFE
However, Jabeur was clearly taxed by her Czech opponent’s agility as the humidity mounted, slowing down her game.
A superb forehand won her the second set, sending the match to a third. After Pliskova won the first game of the third, Jabeur shot back with some inspired play during rapid fire volleys, aided by Pliskova’s unforced errors.
Ultimately, Pliskova proved she had the answers for Jabeur’s self-proclaimed “crazy shots.”
“The conditions are good for me — she plays a lot of tough shots,” Pliskova said. “I think she can play a little bit of everything. She can play slices, drop shots. She serves well — she’s improving with every year.”
Petra Kvitova, the Czech No. 4 seed and another former Qatar Open champion, distinguished herself with a 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
“I can’t really say that I was specifically working on the serve in the time” between the Australian Open and Doha, she said after her victory.
Kvitova used her serve to enormous effect on a number of Pavlyuchenkova’s break points, dominating the first set and steering the second to victory — avoiding a third, unlike eight of their past 12 matches, which went the duration.
Kvitova said that anticipating her opponent’s playing style ultimately gave her the upper hand.
“I know Nasia likes to play aggressive as well. So I was trying to be the first one [so] that she doesn’t have the time,” Kvitova said.
Garbine Muguruza, the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw, ousted defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
Top seed Elina Svitolina easily saw off Misaki Doi 6-1, 6-2, making Qatar the third tournament of the season at which she has reached the quarter-finals, needing just an hour to see off her Japanese opponent.
Former world No. 1 and eighth seed Victoria Azarenka prevailed 6-4, 6-2 over qualifier Laura Siegemund.
Maria Sakkari was in a hurry, dispatching Madison Keys 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour, 8 minutes to reach the final eight.
ABN AMRO WORLD
AP, ROTTERDAM, Netherlands
Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday crashed out of the ATP event in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in the first round, losing in straight sets to Dusan Lajovic and squandering his chance of taking Rafael Nadal’s place as world No. 2, while Andy Murray was beaten by Andrey Rublev in the last 16.
World No. 3 Medvedev was the top seed for this week’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament following his run to the Australian Open final, but was dumped out 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in just over 90 minutes by Serbian Lajovic, currently ranked 27th.
Russia’s Medvedev threw his racquet down in anger after being broken in game nine of the second set, having a row with the umpire and starting the final game with a point penalty as a result.
The outburst came toward the end of a tense performance from the 25-year-old that featured eight double faults and 25 unforced errors.
A calm Lajovic served out the 10th game to set up a second-round clash with Borna Coric.
The defeat was painful for Medvedev as he would have replaced Nadal as world No. 2 had he reached the final. Nadal withdrew from Rotterdam with a back injury.
“I think I was very focused the whole match and not influenced by his good serves and shots,” Lajovic said. “I knew if I stayed in the match, I’d get my opportunities and change the rhythm.”
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray was also visibly frustrated during his 7-5, 6-2 loss to Russian fourth seed Rublev.
The former world No. 1, now ranked 123rd after a series of hip and groin injuries, competed well in the opening set, but Rublev clinched the crucial break to lead 6-5, before saving two break points as he served it out in the next game.
The second set looked as though it would be another tight affair, but Rublev reeled off five straight games to claim an ultimately comfortable win.
Medvedev and Murray join world No. 7 Alexander Zverev and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka in exiting the tournament early.
On Wednesday, Zverev, 23, was dumped out by Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in a shock 7-5, 6-3 defeat.
Germany’s Zverev was seeded third in the tournament, but was surprised by 43rd-ranked Bublik in just 1:19.
“Beating Sascha is great,” said Bublik, who has won his past three matches against top-10 opponents. “There were ups and downs for both of us throughout the match, I got a bit lucky and I was perhaps a little more consistent. I’m just enjoying playing matches right now.”
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