(Los Angeles) The Tunisian Ons Jabeur, world No.5, won the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston on Sunday by beating in the final 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 the Swiss Belinda Bencic (11e), who had beaten her last year at the same stage of the tournament.
Broken from the start and trailing 5-3 in the first set, Jabeur fought hard to come back to 5-5.
Bencic then managed to save five set points to snatch the tiebreaker, where Jabeur in turn worked to save two set points in a tiebreaker which she ended up winning 8 points to 6.
PHOTO: MIC SMITH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belinda Bencic during the semi-final
Jabeur then won the second set 6-4, and the match in 2 h 01 min of play, winning on the gray clay of Charleston his fourth WTA title in his eleventh final.
The 28-year-old Tunisian, finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, is finally back at the highest level.
Absent from the circuit in February to undergo a “minor operation”, the Tunisian had been eliminated in the 2e round after round of the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
“The way you played today was incredible,” said her opponent, Belinda Bencic. “You totally deserve it. I am very happy that you are back. Tennis is great with you. »
“You are an extraordinary competitor and friend, (I am) so happy to share the court with you”, replied Jabeur, who did not fail to remind her with a smile that each one “now has a big trophy and a small trophy”, in reference to the size of the prizes awarded to the winner and the runner-up.