‘ONS FIRE’

Ons Jabeur, now World No. 4, owns 37 victories on clay courts since 2020, the most by any player on the WTA Tour during that time. But April 9’s triumph over Belinda Bencic, now World No. 11, in the championship of the Credit One Charleston Open has to rank right up near the top as far as her personal satisfaction is concerned.

 

The Tunisian gained revenge and earned her first WTA title of the year with a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory over defending champion Belinda Bencic at Credit One Stadium.

 

“It really means a lot. I’ve been wanting to win this tournament for a long time,” said Jabeur, who won her fourth title and first on American soil. “So it’s nice to have a great memory here in Charleston, and, again, this is a pretty good start to the clay season. I don’t want to stop here. I want to continue to do more.”

 

Jabeur and Bencic became the first players to play in two consecutive championships in Charleston. The victory was sweet revenge by the 29-year-old Jabeur, who was on the wrong end of a three-set loss to Bencic last year.

 

Jabeur had an impressive 2022 season with runner-up efforts at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She suffered an injury earlier this year after exiting the Australian Open, but is rounding into top form.

 

Benic led in the first set on an Easter Sunday that was damp and chilly, but Jabeur warmed up the crowd with an impressive array of shots, including a return between her legs in the first set that changed the course of the match.

 

“I reacted very fast,” Jabeur said. “I saw the ball coming at me, so I was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to give her one more ball to play, and see.’ I’m surprised that she didn’t anticipate on the cross, because that’s where I usually play my shots.

 

“But I think I was lucky and creative with that shot, which was amazing,” Jabeur added “It changed up the game a bit for the first set, for sure.”

 

Bencic said, “At this point there was nothing better I could have done. You know, like even the point she played between the legs. To play that on a break point is just, I mean, well done. Like what can I do? You know, I will have to accept the fact, and hope that maybe I will play her in the Grand Slam final and she will not do this.”

 

Both Jabeur and Bencic advanced from April 8’s semifinal matches that seemed more like marathons because of the rain.

 

Jabeur defeated 2017 champ Daria Kasatkina in a match that took just under two hours to complete. However, that doesn’t include the four hours the match was delayed because of rain.

 

Bencic had an even tougher chore. On Sunday, she completed her rain-interrupted semifinal victory over Jessica Pegula, the tourney’s No. 1 seed. Then it was time to battle Jabeur.

 

“Today I just felt like Ons was too good for me. She was really pressing and pushing me, and I think it was meant to go her way today, and she really deserved it,” Bencic said. “So congratulations to her.”

 

In doubles, Americans Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk claimed the title with a 0-6, 6-4 (14-12) victory over the top-seeded team of Giuliana Olmos of Mexico and Ena Shibahara of Japan.