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With an eye on 2023, Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu take part in the women’s exhibition match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships at the Abu Dhabi Stadium on Friday.
It was Radukanu’s long-awaited debut in the UAE capital, as she had hoped to take on Belinda Bencic in last year’s women’s competition but was forced out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Coincidentally, Jabeur replaced her and beat Bencic in three sets to win the title in what she said “felt like home”.
Against Raducanu, Jabeur did it again: In a well-played but well-tempered exhibition match, Jabeur went 5-7, 6-3, [10-8]. Both are yet to play on the Hologic WTA Tour.
Despite the loss, 2021 U.S. Open champion Radukanu was in high spirits before, during and after her first match since her 2022 season ended in October with a wrist injury. As a result, she was forced to withdraw from the Billie Jean Gold Cup finals in the UK in November.
The Briton won four games in a row from 5-3 down in the first set, but was unable to take an 8-6 lead in the 10-point match tie-break.
ATP players have competed in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships every year since 2009, adding a one-day women’s exhibition event to the 2017 tournament. Jelena Ostapenko wins inaugural match against Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Maria Sara Maria Sharapova was the other previous winner.
If social media is anything to go by, Raducanu and Jabeur enjoyed the preparations for the event alongside their male counterparts, including Andrey Rublev, Cameron Norrie and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
World No. 2 Jaber will officially open her 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1, while Radukanu heads to Auckland, New Zealand for the return of the ASB Classic.
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