Abu Dhabi Open 2024: Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Ons Jabeur vs (WC) Emma Raducanu
Date: February 7, 2024
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, Abu Dhabi
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $922,573
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu preview
World No. 6 Ons Jabeur will take on 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open on Wednesday.
Jabeur started her season directly at the Australian Open and didn't participate in any warm-up events before the season's first Major. She faced qualifier Yulia Starodubtsewa in the first round and scored a routine 6-3, 6-1 win over her.
Teen sensation Mirra Andreeva awaited Jabeur in the second round after that. The match was a complete blowout as the Tunisian received a 6-0, 6-2 drubbing to crash out of the tournament. As the second seed at the Abu Dhabi Open, she received a first-round bye.
Raducanu was drawn against Marie Bouzkova in the first round here. The opening set featured plenty of back and forth between the two as there were six consecutive breaks of serve.
After getting back on serve to make it 4-3, Raducanu nabbed the next three games to take the set. The second set was quite one-sided as the 21-year-old went on a six-game run to score a 6-4, 6-1 victory. She has now made it past the first round of all her tournaments this year.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu prediction
Raducanu's serve and forehand were nowhere to be found for half of the first set, but once she cleaned up her act, there was no stopping her. She won 59% and 27% points on the first and second serve in the first set, but those stats went up to 82% and 75% respectively in the second set.
Jabeur hasn't looked like herself since the end of last season. Following her title-winning run at the Ningbo Open, she didn't string together two wins in a row for the rest of the year.
The Tunisian also suffered crushing defeats to Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals as she lost to them 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-1 respectively in the group stage. Jabeur received another thrashing at the hands of Andreeva at this year's Australian Open.
Raducanu has yet to defeat a top-10 player in her career, but if Jabeur doesn't clean up her act, she doesn't stand a chance in this match. The crowd support will be in the latter's favor and she does try her very best in the Middle East. But given how they've played this year, the Brit will be favored to advance further.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.