Australian Open 2024: Ons Jabeur comfortably progresses to second round with win against qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva

ByEurosport

Updated 15/01/2024 at 10:00 GMT

Ons Jabeur secured her passage to round two of the Australian Open courtesy of a 6-3 6-1 win against Yuliia Starodubtseva on Margaret Court Arena. The Tunisian, whose best showing at Melbourne Park was a quarter-final in 2020, was broken in the first game of the match but then largely dominated from there to set up a second-round encounter with either Mirra Andreeva or Bernarda Pera.

Jabeur takes the opening set against Starodubtseva

Ons Jabeur raced through to round two of the Australian Open following a 6-3 6-1 win against Yuliia Starodubtseva on Margaret Court Arena.

World No. 150 Starodubtseva showed no signs of nerves as she opened up her first match against a top 10 player – and only her second against a player in the top 100 – with a break of serve.

However, Jabeur had her full arsenal of shots on display as three breaks of her opponent’s serves saw her collect the first set, and an early break in the next put the world No. 6 in total control.

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Yet, Starodubtseva, who 12 months ago was just six months out of university and without a ranking, did not wilt, and attempted – at least – to go shot-for-shot with her more experienced opponent.

Jabeur, though, playing her first match of the year, drew on her wealth of experience to excel in the key moments and would see out the second set in comfortable fashion.

"It is very, very special to come back here again,” said Jabeur on court after the match.

"I decided to rest a bit before coming to the Australian Open and just play this tournament. But the crowd really helped today and hopefully it will be a much better match for the next round.

"It’s been a year,” she added.

"Especially last year wasn’t so great here. Coming back here I was a little bit stressed but seeing the crowd made me less stressed. I saw some guys I’ve known from 2016 cheering for me when I was playing qualifying.

"They’ve been following me since qualifying - that is really something.

Thank you for coming and supporting me for so many years.”

Next up for Jabeur is a match against either Mirra Andreeva or Bernarda Pera.