Ons Jabeur won the Bett1 Open title in Berlin on Sunday after her opponent, Belinda Bencic was forced to stop proceedings part way after sustaining an injury to her ankle during the match. At the time of Bencic’s retirement, Jabeur was leading 6-3, 2-1 in the match.
Going into the match, Bencic was the player who’d the slightest of margins in their head-to-head – 2-1. This was also the third time the two were facing each other with Bencic winning their first match this season in Charleston and Jabeur claiming victory in Madrid. Their match in the German capital was, however, the first they’d played on grass with their first match also occurring on clay – in Madrid, in 2021.
Bett1 Open: An unexpected end to the Ons Jabeur-Belinda Bencic match-up
This final between Jabeur and Bencic saw the former, the tournament top seed race away to a 4-1 lead in the opening set before her eighth-seeded opponent, broke back in the seventh game to level the set at 4-3 on serve. However, the Swiss wasn’t able to consolidate the break back and handed the break back to Jabeur. In the ninth game, while trying to serve for the set, Jabeur had to fend off three break back points. It was also in this game that Bencic injured her ankle when returning Jabeur’s serve.
Following a medical time-out, Bencic was able to resume play but as it turned out, it wasn’t for long, though. This is the second consecutive year that Bencic’s had to face disappointment in the event. In 2021, she lost the final to Liudmila Samsonova.
For Ons Jabeur, the Bett1 Open title’s the second trophy she’s won in the 2022 season – after her triumph in Madrid. The Tunisian, following her victory run here, will also mark a new career-high of no. 3 in the world on Monday, 20th June, when the WTA rankings will be next updated.
Photo Credit: WTA Insider Twitter