Ons Jabeur vows to keep calm as she faces Wimbledon rematch with Elena Rybakina
Jabeur was beaten in three sets by Rybakina in last year’s final
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Your support makes all the difference.Ons Jabeur has vowed to stick to her plan as she targets Wimbledon revenge over Elena Rybakina.
The pair meet in the quarter-finals on Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s final, where Jabeur’s heart was broken by a three-set defeat.
The Tunisian has come back 12 months later and looked every inch a possible champion as she has coasted into the last eight. She knows this is a step up in quality and accepts she will have to do things she does not enjoy against Rybakina.
The sixth seed said: “My priority is really to stick 100 per cent to the plan that my coach will give me, and try to even do things that I might not like on the court, play more freely, just think about each point and not the results.
“I think you have a plan tactically, mentally also. Sometimes playing someone like Elena, who serves really well, it can be frustrating. Me, I would get angry, but I’ll try to accept the fact that she serves so good and try to return good and see what I can do there.”
Jabeur admits that it took her a couple of weeks to get over last year’s final but takes a holistic view of the defeat.
“I think the first one or two weeks I thought about it a lot,” she said. “It was very painful. The good thing about it is I know I gave it everything.
“I’m someone that believes that it wasn’t meant to be, so I cannot force it more than it should be. I’m glad that I have this belief. I believe in destiny. It wasn’t supposed to be that year.
“Maybe greater things are coming after that final. I definitely will learn a lot from it. Obviously the next match is completely different. It’s a quarter-final. It’s a completely different position. I’m going to do my best.
“The most important thing is that I give 100 per cent and I try not to regret anything.”
Rybakina has barely broken sweat on her way to the last eight, though did admit she felt nervous at the start of the competition. She is now through that and wants to continue in calmer waters.
“Now I’m feeling much better and more confident coming and playing on Centre Court,” she said. “It is different from the first round.
“I think it was just overall the atmosphere and the nerves to play the first match to get used to the grass, just to play some matches here. I think now mentally I’m much better. Physically also good now. Yeah, hopefully I just continue like this.”