Ons Jabeur defeated Diana Shnaider in straight sets in the final of the Ningbo Open on Saturday to claim her fifth WTA title in China.
The seventh-ranked Jabeur defeated the tournament’s surprise sensation, the 19-year-old Russian Diana Shnaider, with relative ease, winning the championship 6-2, 6-1.
In only her ninth WTA main draw, the Moscow-born Shnaider defeated the two-time Wimbledon singles champion Petra Kvitova, 33, to reach her first career final.
Shnaider, despite her daring approach throughout the tournament, was defeated by the powerful and precise Tunisian in only 78 minutes.
Jabeur entered the competition after receiving a last-minute wildcard into the Ningbo Open, where she was the top seed.
Her victory on a hard court in China is the first of her career.
Jabeur appeared broken after her recent straight-set defeat to Marketa Vondrousova in the Wimbledon final, which she described as the “most painful loss” of her career.
“These are small steps toward winning a Grand Slam final,” the 29-year-old stated.
“Playing a final here is less stressful than playing a Grand Slam final, but I believe it will help me gain more confidence and manage pressure and stress.”
After the match, the Tunisian praised Shnaider’s performance and predicted that the adolescent will cause more upsets in the future.
“I believe (Shnaider) is an excellent athlete, and she gave me a lot of trouble. I am aware that the score is 2 and 1, but it was much more difficult than it appears. She has a lot of potential, her game is really solid so I really expect to see her troubling other players.”
On Sunday, Jabeur will compete against Ashlyn Krueger, 19, in the Round of 64 of the China Open. The American currently holds the 75th position in the WTA rankings.
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