Tag: wimbledon tennis 2022

  • Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab woman to reach Grand Slam final

    Ons Jabeur becomes first Arab woman to reach Grand Slam final

    Ons Jabeur defeated close friend Tatjana Maria in the Wimbledon semifinals on Thursday, making history as the first Arab woman to compete in a Grand Slam singles final.

    After winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, Tunisia’s world number two, 27, will play either Simona Halep or Elena Rybakina in the title match on Saturday.

    Jabeur, the first Arab player to reach a Slam semifinal, said, “I’m a proud Tunisian woman standing here.”

    Irene Bowder Peacock from South Africa and Renee Schuurman from Australia in 1959 were the only African women to have advanced to a Slam singles final before Thursday.

    “It’s a dream come true from years of work and sacrifice. I’m happy that’s paid off and I’ll continue for one more match,” said Jabeur.

    “Physically, Tatjana is a beast, she doesn’t give up, I thought she would give up — her touch, her serve and everything on the court is impressive. I hope she’s continues this way. Let’s not play again I’m good for now.

    “I know in Tunisia they are going crazy right now. I want to see more Arab and African players on the tour. I love the game and I want to share the experience with them.”

    With breaks in the third and seventh games, Jabeur easily defeated mother-of-two Maria in the first set. In the opening set, the Tunisian had 15 winners to her opponent’s six, and she did not encounter a single break point.

    On the strength of a sequence of deft slices, Maria, who Jabeur referred to as her “barbecue buddy,” did manage to ultimately breakthrough for 3-1 in the second set.

    The more precise German levelled the match with six unforced errors to Jabeur’s 17 in the second set.

    However, there would be no unexpected victory when the 103rd-ranked Maria’s challenge was rejected. Jabeur earned a double break for a 5-0 lead before saving a second match point to go down in history.

  • Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal beats Taylor Fritz despite injury concerns

    Wimbledon 2022: Rafael Nadal beats Taylor Fritz despite injury concerns

    After overcoming an abdominal ailment to defeat Taylor Fritz in a gripping match, Rafael Nadal gave no assurances that he would be able to show up for his Wimbledon semifinal match against Australian Nick Kyrgios on Friday.

    On Wednesday at Centre Court, Nadal was on the verge of quitting his match because of a physical issue, but he found the motivation to defeat Fritz in four hours and 20 minutes, according to Reuters.

    The Mallorcan would complete the calendar slam, a feat last accomplished in 1969 by Australian great Rod Laver, with a victory at the US Open at Flushing Meadows and a victory in his third Wimbledon tournament, his first on the well-kept grounds since 2010.

    However, the 36-year-old gave no assurance that he would be at Centre Court to continue his historic campaign.

    “I don’t know,” Nadal said when asked about his chances of playing the unseeded 27-year-old Kyrgios. “Honestly, I can’t give you a clear answer because if I gave you a clear answer and tomorrow another thing happens, I will be a liar.”

    When Nadal needed medical attention during his quarterfinal match against 11th-seeded Fritz, he acknowledged he had to change his style of play to keep playing. The Spaniard, though, thought about giving up several times throughout the competition.

    “I just wanted to give myself a chance. Not easy to leave the tournament, not easy to leave Wimbledon, even if the pain was hard,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said. “I don’t know. I wanted to finish. I fought. Proud about the fighting spirit and the way that I managed to be competitive under that condition.”

    Before deciding whether to continue competing at the grasscourt Major, Nadal stated he was concerned about the knee and will get additional scans on Thursday.

    Nadal, who participated in and won the Roland Garros tournament while receiving painkiller injections before each match, said: “I am used to holding discomfort and playing with problems.” He only announced his participation in Wimbledon after receiving radiofrequency treatment for foot trouble.

    “Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way in the abdomen. But let’s see. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day, has been an important increase of pain and limitation,” he said.