Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu.
Date: 16 December 2022.
Tournament: Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Round: Final.
Venue: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Category: Exhibition Tournament.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $250,000.
Match timing: Not before 8 pm local time, 4 pm GMT, 11 am ET and 9:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Australia - Stan Sport.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu preview
Defending champion Ons Jabeur will face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday.
After a breakout season in 2021, Jabeur solidified her position at the top of the women's game this year. She reached her maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, but came up short against Elena Rybakina. She also made it to the title round of the US Open, but lost to Iga Swiatek.
Jabeur nabbed her first WTA 1000 title in Madrid by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final. She also won the title in Berlin. The Tunisian finished as the runner-up on two other occasions, losing to Belinda Bencic in Charleston and Swiatek in Rome. Her string of strong results led to a career-high ranking of World No. 2, along with a debut at the WTA Finals.
However, Jabeur was unable to make it out of the group stage at the year-end championships. She lost her first match against Aryna Sabalenka, but kept herself in contention with a win over Pegula. Maria Sakkari put an end to her campaign by defeating her in straight sets.
Meanwhile, following her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu's first full season on the WTA tour was full of difficulties. Injuries frequently halted her momentum. The Brit failed to advance beyond the second round of any Major, while her title defense at the US Open ended in the first round itself.
Raducanu made it to a couple of quarterfinals, first in Stuttgart and then in Washington. She notched up the best result of the year at the Seoul Open, where she made it to the last four. However, the youngster sustained an injury which forced her to retire from the match.
After a first-round exit from the Ostrava Open, Raducanu pulled the plug on her season, citing a wrist injury.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu odds
Odds will be added once they're available.
Ons Jabeur vs Emma Raducanu prediction
Jabeur has been a better player all year long, but Raducanu was starting to find some form when she was yet again hindered by an injury. The young Brit has tried a lot of different approaches to elevate her game this year but has only had moderate success.
Raducanu's run to the US Open title was almost flawless as she executed every aspect of her game perfectly. That precision has been missing from her serve and groundstrokes this season.
Jabeur, on the other hand, is known for mixing up the pace and rhythm of her rallies with a variety of shots. However, she's still known to crumble when put to the test by her opponents.
Jabeur was far from her best in her last tournament of the season. If Raducanu steps up her game, she certainly has a shot at victory, but otherwise it is the Tunisian's match to lose.
Pick: Ons Jabeur to win in straight sets.