WTA Chicago: Double Walkover! Ons Jabeur and Garbine Muguruza in the final
An extremely bitter tennis afternoon occurred yesterday at the top-ranked WTA 500 event in Chicago. Both semi-finals in Illinois had to be decided by a walkover on Saturday.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Oct 03, 2021, 08:22 am
Garbine Muguruza didn't even have to go on the pitch to make it into the final. Even before the match, her opponent Marketa Vodrousova announced that she would not be able to start: "Unfortunately, I have to cancel my match today, but I'm happy with the tennis that I showed in Chicago, "said the Czech. For Muguruza, however, it is about the second title of the season after the Spaniard was successful in Dubai in 2021.
The Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who is busy writing the African tennis record books, also got the taste for title honors this calendar year. Jabeur had to fight a set and a half for her place in the final, but when the score was 6: 4 and 3: 1, opponent Elena Rybakina had to give up due to gastrointestinal complaints.
Jabeur could make history
This makes Ons Jabeur the lady with the most wins on the WTA Tour in 2021. The 27-year-old has already won 44 matches in 2021. And the Tunisian has the chance to crown her excellent playing year with a ticket for the season finale for the eight best players in Guadalajara, Mexico.
In the event of a triumph in Chicago, Jabeur would not only move up to 12th place in the WTA charter - and thus become the best-placed Arab tennis player of all time - the Tunisian would also move up to ninth place in the Race to Guadalajara. Only one place away from the fixed qualification. "We're both in the running for Guadalajara," said Jabeur on the pitch.