A performance punctuated with patience sent women's No.2 seed Ons Jabeur into the second round of Australian Open 2023 on Tuesday night.
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The Tunisian title contender fended off three set points in the opener to prevail 7-6(8) 4-6 6-1 over world No.98 Tamara Zidansek on Rod Laver Arena.
The build-up
Having suffered Grand Slam final heartache at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as withdrawing from Australian Open 2022 with a back injury, Jabeur has been fully transparent with her 2023 major aspirations.
The world No.2 had seen a lot of title rivals lay down a marker already in Melbourne. Over to Ons to prove her credentials.
Saying that, Zidansek is a nasty first round draw for anyone, as the Slovenian managed to reach the Roland-Garros semifinals as recently as 2021.
Story of the match
An early 4-1 Jabeur lead was swiftly dissolved by the determined world No.98.
As a tiebreak loomed at 6-5, Jabeur chased down a drop shot and flicked a forehand pass of pure finesse. Zidansek applauded the hot shot, before regrouping and earning three set points of her own in the turbulent tiebreak.
Jabeur stood firm, and brave hitting helped convert the Tunisian's third opportunity.
At 3-3 in the second set, a trademark Jabeur drop shot combined with a volleyed lob was a certainty for the highlight reel. But Zidansek refused to wilt, and was dealing with the No.2 seed's renowned slice with ease. Baseline brushing returns earned two breaks to drag Jabeur into a decider.
Cutting out the errors, the 28-year-old regrouped to race ahead 4-1 again in the final frame.
No issues this time; a wizardry drop shot swooped from the baseline to land at an impossible angle for Zidansek, providing the catalyst for victory.
"It was a very tough match. I wasn't playing very well and she was putting a lot of pressure on me. I know she is a player who doesn't give up, brings every ball in," reflected Jabeur.
"I had to make sure I was following what my coach told me, because I wasn't really doing that.
"I just tried to be more patient. It's a tough sport and you definitely don’t want to play three sets here. I kept it clean at the end and I was playing nice tennis."
Key stats
With wins in 11 of her past 12 opening-round matches in majors, Jabeur is a Grand Slam contender across all surfaces.
Even with Tuesday night's success, a 28-49 ratio of winners to unforced errors indicates there is still plenty of room for improvement for Jabeur on the practice court as the tournament progresses.
What this means for Jabeur
The nicknamed 'Minister of Happiness' is off the mark once again. It wasn't her most polished performance, but the Tunisian will be buoyed by her resilience, not boiling over at the start of the third set.
"I was pretty frustrated, but I'm glad I let it out in the second set," she continued. "I just told myself to be No.2 in the world and win this match."
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The message seemed to work. Jabeur's second-round test is in the shape of Alison Riske-Amritraj or Marketa Vondrousova.
What's next for Zidansek?
Regardless of the result, there's plenty of positives for the 25-year-old to take on her flight from Melbourne.
Zidansek will hope for an injury-free period to build momentum ahead of a return to Roland-Garros.
'Spontaneous and crazy things? Count me in!' reads her Instagram profile. Perhaps there is an Australian adventure before Zidansek heads home?