Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: Ons Jabeur keeps making history on Wimbledon’s hallowed Centre Court: a year after reaching the quarterfinals in a historic first for Arab women, Jabeur has gone one step further in 2022. The No.3 seed rallied from a set down to defeat Marie Bouzkova in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the semifinals at a major for the first time. Follow Wimbledon 2022 LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: Ons Jabeur defeats Maria Bouzkova in three sets to enter maiden Wimbledon semifinal
To recap
🇹🇳 @Ons_Jabeur is:
– a Grand Slam semifinalist
– the first Arab or North African woman to ever make a major semifinal
– ONStoppable#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/CTVeBZenpa— wta (@WTA) July 5, 2022
Having lost her two previous Grand Slam quarterfinals in straight sets, Jabeur was equally slow to start against Bouzkova. She dropped her first set of the tournament in the face of an inspired Czech foe who was bidding to upset her third seeded player this fortnight; in sets two and three, though, she broke Bouzkova’s serve six times in total to rally for a 1 hour, 47-minute win.
Though Jabeur and Maria have played three previous times, all were a lifetime ago in the context of their current careers. Maria won their only tour-level meeting in Linz in 2017, with Jabeur earning wins in qualifying matches at the 2014 US Open and in Beijing in 2018.
“I knew she was going to come and really make me work to win a point,” Jabeur said. “She’s a talented player, and I’m really happy that I woke up during the second set and I played much better in the third set.”
She’ll next face fellow first-time semifinalist Tatjana Maria for a spot in the Wimbledon final as Maria also came from a set down in beating fellow German Jule Niemeier in Tuesday’s other three-set quarterfinal. They’ll play for the first time in four years.