The Abu Dhabi Open 2021 has reached its pre-quarters stage and fans will witness an exciting contest there. World No.10 Aryna Sabalenka will face the Tunisian player Ons Jabeur in the Round of 16.

With her current form, all eyes will be on Sabalenka. However, it was not long ago when Jabeur defeated Sabalenka at the French Open 2020.

Aryna Sabalenka v Ons Jabeur: Preview

Sabalenka has entered the pre-quarters after thrashing her two previous opponents in straight sets. In the first round against Polona Hercog, she was able to win the first set after saving 5 set-points. At one stage, Sabalenka was trailing at 2-5 but she didn’t give up and was able to win the match in the end. At the moment, she is enjoying a 10-match winning streak since her twin wins at the Linz Open 2020.

On the other hand, Jabeur faced a lot of difficulty in her last game. Playing against Kateryna Bondarenko, she lost the first set. However, the World No.31 was able to win the remaining two sets easily and win the match.

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Jabeur will have to find a way to tackle the powerful forehands of Sabalenka. The way the Belarusian player dominates the game after taking an early lead is also a threat to Jabeur. The Tunisian will certainly work on her blocking technique and will like to play as she did at the Roland Garros 2020.

Sabalenka v Jabeur: Head-to-Head

So far, the two players have only met once at the French Open 2020. In the round of 32 there, Jabeur battled past the World No.10 Sabalenka after winning the first and the third set.

This will be the first time when the two will face each other in a WTA event. While Jabeur will hope to extend her lead, Sabalenka will like to take revenge on the Tunisian player.

Sabalenka v Jabeur: Predictions

Although both players have quite a great form, Sabalenka will surely start as the favorite. Her accurate serves, strong forehands, and ability to a comeback will place her much ahead of Jabeur.

However, Jabeur is the one who enjoys playing long rallies. Once she settles down and takes time, she produces the winner and wins the point. Also, her ability to give a good drop is something that Sabalenka will try to return effectively.

The pre-quarter match will definitely be a great event as two strong contenders for the title are competing against each other. Will Sabalenka be able to take her revenge or will Jabeur be able to break her winning streak?