Ajla Tomljanovic and Ons Jabeur every got here again from first-set deficits to assert straight-sets wins within the US Open Spherical of 16 on Sunday night time.
Tomljanovic, who defeated Serena Williams within the closing match of the WTA Legend’s profession, reached her second Grand Slam quarterfinal in a row with a 7-6(8), 6-1 win over Liudmila Samsonova on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Australia’s Tomljanovic ended Samsonova’s gorgeous 13-match profitable streak with the practically 2-hour victory. Tomljanovic got here again from 2-5 down and erased a whopping eight set factors within the opening set.
No.5 seed Jabeur of Tunisia additionally got here again from 2-5 down within the first set earlier than topping No.18 seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(1), 6-4. It was Jabeur’s first win over Kudermetova of their 4 conferences.
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All 4 gamers remaining within the backside half of the draw are first-time US Open quarterfinalists.
Listed below are breakdowns of Tomljanovic’s and Jabeur’s wins, and the way they might maintain their momentum rolling within the elite eight:
Ajla Tomljanovic
Self-belief is essential
Final yr, Tomljanovic made her first main quarterfinal at Wimbledon, and she or he backed it up by returning to the identical spherical on the All-England Membership this yr. Tomljanovic is brimming with confidence on the majors after pulling that feat off twice successively.
Even after Williams predictably surged within the second set of their conflict, Tomljanovic didn’t waver and took house the well-known victory, underscoring the self-belief she has constructed up during the last couple of seasons.
Tomljanovic was additionally practically eradicated within the spherical previous to that, coming inside two factors of defeat towards Evgeniya Rodina, however she battled again there too.
Tomljanovic demonstrated that self-confidence within the first set towards Samsonova on Sunday night time, the place she saved seven set factors in an engrossing 18-minute 5-4 recreation, in addition to an eighth set level within the decisive tiebreak.
Good selections in rallies
Tomljanovic acquired into the top of Samsonova because the opening body progressed, extending rallies till Samsonova misplaced the plot and, ultimately, the first-set tiebreak.
The Aussie’s resilience paid off, drawing an growing variety of unforced errors from Samsonova, who was desperately attempting to maintain her 13-match profitable streak going.
Tomljanovic additionally annoyed Samsonova with well-placed serves which slid shortly into Samsonova’s shallow return place. If Tomljanovic also can outfox Jabeur with stable decision-making, she may give the No.5 seed a run for her cash.
Seal the second service
After warding off peril to clinch the primary set after a grueling 82 minutes, the writing was on the wall, and Tomljanovic cruised by the second set.
“Simply feels actually good to again up a win that I believe acquired quite a lot of consideration,” Tomljanovic mentioned in her post-match press convention. “It has been a extremely massive 48 hours. I did not actually really feel like myself as we speak the entire day.
“I simply felt somewhat bit drained. After that sluggish begin, I simply did not need to exit like that. Picked myself up, fought again actually laborious, performed some high quality tennis after that.”
Highly effective Samsonova completed the match with 24 winners to Tomljanovic’s 9, and the pair have been practically equal in success price behind their first serves.
However the place Tomljanovic excelled was defending her second service — she received 59 % of these factors in comparison with Samsonova’s 40 % success price. It would serve Tomljanovic nicely down the highway if she will maintain that second serve rock-solid.
Ons Jabeur
Carve out the angles
Within the early phases of the primary set on Sunday, Jabeur was in serious trouble towards a participant she was 0-3 towards. Kudermetova led 5-2 and was seemingly on her technique to sustaining her undefeated file towards the Tunisian.
However Jabeur stored her composure and pulled her method right into a decisive first-set tiebreak along with her trademark selection. Jabeur began the breaker with a backhand angled winner, and she or he steered a forehand down the road to notch a commanding 4-0 lead.
A backhand winner down the road wrapped up a dominant tiebreak for the 2022 Wimbledon finalist. As she continues to stake her declare as a Prime 5 common, Jabeur is proving that regardless of the scoreline, she is going to discover precisely the proper locations to place the ball from no matter sector of the court docket she is in.
One other ace queen?
Regardless of failing to serve out the match at 5-3 within the second set, Jabeur held on to seize her first win over Kudermetova, breaking for the triumph after an hour and a half of motion on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jabeur dragged herself out of bother on quite a few events with pristine serving at key moments. She had 11 aces within the match general, ending the match with a 72 % success price behind her first supply. Extra massive serves will turn out to be useful towards Tomljanovic’s resilient play.
Revel within the historical past of the second
Jabeur takes nice pleasure in being a historic trailblazer for her area, turning into the primary Tunisian and first Arab lady to win a title, to succeed in the Prime 10, and to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal and past. She is reaching extra milestones in New York, which is able to bolster her spirits additional.
Jabeur is now the third African lady to make it into the US Open quarterfinals within the Open Period (since 1968) — and the primary from the northern a part of the continent. The opposite African girls to succeed in the US Open quarterfinals within the Open Period hail from South Africa: Maryna Godwin (1968) and Amanda Coetzer (1994, 1996 and 1998).
Jabeur also can look again at her historical past towards Tomljanovic for a lift: she has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over the Aussie, together with a win on the clay courts of Rome this yr.