Berlin – Saba:
Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur, ranked 61st in the world, pulled off a surprise victory on Wednesday by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, the world No. 5, in straight sets (6-1, 6-3) to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open (a WTA 500 tournament).
The 30-year-old Tunisian sealed the match against her Italian opponent in one hour and 16 minutes, marking her third head-to-head victory against Paolini compared to three losses, according to the Anadolu Agency.
Jabeur dominated the match from the start, easily taking the first set 6-1. Despite Paolini’s attempts to stage a comeback in the second set, she faltered against the Tunisian’s strong performance, which ended 6-3.
This marks Jabeur’s first win over a top-five player since Wimbledon 2023 and her first consecutive match wins since last February. Jabeur, who clinched the Berlin Open title in 2022, will next face the winner of the match between Russia’s Diana Shnaider and the Czech Republic’s Markéta Vondroušová, as she aims to reach the semifinals of the grass-court tournament.
| more of (International) |