2023 WTA Finals Cancun: Ons Jabeur Defeats Marketa Vondrousova in Round-Robin Play
By Sports Correspondent
CANCUN, Mexico – In an exciting rematch of the Wimbledon final, Ons Jabeur, ranked No.7, emerged victorious against No.6 Marketa Vondrousova with a 6-4, 6-3 win in round-robin play at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun.
Jabeur’s straight-sets triumph brings her to a 1-1 record in the Chetumal Group, while Wimbledon champion Vondrousova falls to 0-2. This outcome, combined with No.2 Iga Swiatek’s straight-sets victory over No.3 Coco Gauff, leaves the group finely poised heading into the final day of group play.
With a flawless 2-0 record, Swiatek currently holds the pole position to win the group and secure qualification. Gauff and Jabeur sit in second place with 1-1 records, while Vondrousova, at 0-2, still has a mathematical chance to advance.
Jabeur is set to face Swiatek on Friday, marking their first complete match since the 2022 US Open final, which Swiatek won 6-2, 7-6(5).
“Iga is a very astute player who knows how to adapt to these conditions,” Jabeur commented. “I’m going to try to savor this game, play with freedom, and release some of the frustration I have. It won’t be an easy match, but I will give it my all.”
Both Jabeur and Vondrousova entered Wednesday night’s match aiming to bounce back from challenging opening losses in Cancun. Jabeur managed to win just one game against Gauff, while Vondrousova squandered an opening set lead against Swiatek, resulting in a straight-sets defeat.
After their previous encounter in the Wimbledon final, Jabeur successfully ended her three-match losing streak against Vondrousova. She broke Vondrousova in the opening game and held off the crafty left-hander. The set was filled with tension, with almost every service game featuring a break point. Jabeur handled the pressure better, saving six of seven break points to claim the opening set after 57 minutes.
Jabeur’s improved aggression proved to be the game-changer against Vondrousova. In her first match, she only managed to hit 24 percent of her shots inside the baseline. However, against Vondrousova, she significantly improved that number to 57 percent.
The second set remained closely contested until Jabeur broke the deadlock at 3-3. She capitalized on a loose service game from Vondrousova, breaking at love to take a 4-3 lead, and consolidated with a love hold. Jabeur sealed the victory in the following game, closing out the 89-minute match with her sixth break of the match.