Wimbledon 2021: Aryna Sabalenka vs Ons Jabeur preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Aryna Sabalenka vs (21) Ons Jabeur
Date: 6 July 2021
Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: London, Great Britain
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £17,066,000
Match timing: Not before 2.30 pm local time, 1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am EST, 7 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ons Jabeur preview
Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur came through similarly hard-fought wins in their respective fourth-round encounters on Monday. The two will now compete for a spot in their first Grand Slam semifinal.
Sabalenka came into Wimbledon having never made it past the second round at the tournament, but has gone from strength to strength in her matches this year. She has been especially impressive in the crunch moments, coming through tight three-set wins over Kartie Boulter in the second round and Elena Rybakina in the fourth.
Against an increasingly dangerous-looking Jabeur, however, the second seed faces another big test.
Ons Jabeur enters this contest having won 10 of her 11 matches on grass this year. The Tunisian has strung an especially strong run here at the All England Club, ousting three Major winners - Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Iga Swiatek - in a row.
The encounters against Swiatek and Muguruza, where she came from a set down to close out emphatic wins, would have filled her with a lot of confidence.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head
Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabuer have split their two previous meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock. The Belarusian won the duo's most recent meeting - at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Open - in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ons Jabeur prediction
Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur weren't the most established grasscourt players coming into this year's Wimbledon Championships. However, both women have come up with splendid displays throughout the week.
Sabalenka, for one, has managed to power her way through some tenacious players. The Belarusian's big groundstrokes have proven too strong for most opponents, and her serve has repeatedly bailed her out of trouble.
However, Sabalenka will need to be wary of Jabeur's variety. The Tunisian has used the block and dropshot returns exceptionally well this week, and that's something Sabalenka struggled with in her match against Boulter as well.
Jabeur is also capable of going toe-to-toe with the best from the baseline, as was evident in her matches against Swiatek and Muguruza. When playing with freedom, the Tunisian has one of the best forehands in the current game, which can deal a lot of damage.
We could be in for another topsy-turvy match, as both Sabalenka and Jabeur are prone to lapses in concentration. That said, it is the Tunisian who has shown greater mental strength in overcoming big names this week, and in a close matchup like this, that could well make the difference.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.