Ons Jabeur beat 17-year-old qualifier Wakana Sonobe 6-3 6-3 to move into the quarter finals at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. Jabeur converted five of her seven break points.
Jabeur earned the first break in the first game to take a 3-2 lead. Sonobe broke straight back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Jabeur broke in the seventh and ninth games to win the opening set 6-3. Sonobe broke Jabeur to love in the first game of the second set Jabeur broke twice in the second and eighth games and closed out the match with an unreturned serve.
Jabeur equalled her result from her Abu Dhabi tournament debut last year, when she also reached the quarter final before losing to Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Jabeur set up a quarter final against Elena Rybakina in a re-match of the 2022 Wimbledon final.
The Tunisian player has reached her second quarter final of the 2025 season after Brisbane. She holds a win-loss record of 8-3.
Sonobe became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open Junior titile and came through the qualifying round in Abu Dhabi to make her WTA Tour main draw debut.
“It was definitely a great match. It’s always tough to play against young players, lefty ones. It’s always tricky. I am glad that I pulled out the win in two sets”,said Jabeur.
