"He's handsome, I had to say that, don't tell my husband" - Ons Jabeur on being a fan of Andy Roddick
When Ons Jabeur was asked why she was a fan of Andy Roddick, the Tunisian joked that his handsome looks drew her to him.
Jabeur, a long-time fan of the former American World No. 1, had the opportunity to meet her idol following her 6-4, 7-6(4) defeat of Ajla Tomljanovic in the US Open quarterfinals.
In a video shared by the official Twitter account of the tournament, Jabeur and Roddick were seen engaging in a lively conversation, followed by a warm hug.
A moment she's been waiting for!
@Ons_Jabeur finally had a chance to meet her idol @andyroddick at the #USOpen. https://t.co/aJX4vabxG5
On Friday, Jabeur beat Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3 to make it through to the title clash at Flushing Meadows. During her post-match press conference, she was asked about her admiration for Roddick and the reasons behind it.
"He's handsome, also. I had to say that. Don't tell my husband," she said with a smile.
"I think, yeah, the personality is similar to mine. I always wanted to be that fun player that he is. I suck at imitating people, but he does it really well. Also what's impressive is his serve. Always wanted to serve like that. Just, you know, just his charisma on the court is really amazing. I don't know. I remember the final at Wimbledon against Federer. Everybody was cheering for Federer, but I was, like, Andy, come on, come on," she added.
#idol
Finally meeting this legend @andyroddick ❤️ #idol https://t.co/SaNcCY2X9e
Ons Jabeur beats Caroline Garcia, sets up US Open title clash with Iga Swiatek
Ons Jabeur put in a clinical performance in her semifinal clash with Caroline Garcia at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. She won in straight sets, defeating the Frenchwoman 6-1, 6-3 in a little over an hour.
She hit eight aces and 21 winners, did not face a single break point and converted all four she got. Playing in her 57th match of the season, the Tunisian was so effective on her serve that she did not face a single break point in a match for the first time this year.
Take it in, @Ons_Jabeur!
#USOpen https://t.co/bIa71zuAaG
In her post-match on-court interview, she spoke about the importance of not going wrong with her serve.
“So important. She comes in the court and puts a lot of pressure on my second serves. I’m really glad she didn’t break me in the end -- would have been really tough to go to 5-4,” she said.
Ons Jabeur will now take on Iga Swiatek in Saturday's title clash. It promises to be an intriguing battle as the pair are first and second in match wins this season. That said, the Tunisian is confident about going all the way.
"Yeah, I do feel that. I'm definitely going to learn from all the finals that I played, and especially the last one at Wimbledon. I'm going to give it all. Definitely going for the title here," she confidently said, in her post-match press conference.