World No.2 Ons Jabeur got her 2023 season underway with a win over Sorana Cirstea 7-6(3), 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International 1, here on Thursday.
Jabeur, who got a bye in her opening match, will face Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
"Very happy, great start for me. Obviously, I wanted to win the first set much easier, but I will have to learn from it and keep more energy," said top seed Jabeur.
The Tunisian showed both flashes of brilliance and understandable rust in her first match of the season.
Jabeur broke twice in the opening set but was pegged back due to a string of errors. Imbued with confidence, Cirstea frustrated Jabeur with her flat hitting to force a tiebreak. There, Jabeur dialed in to build a quick 4-0 lead and seal the opening set.
"Happy that I stayed calm, not angry that I missed the two breaks that I was up with and keeping my calm to play my game. That tiebreak helped me play a better second set," she said.
With the opening set in hand, Jabeur settled in the second set and sealed her first win of the year in 77 minutes, hitting a dazzling array of winners that will no doubt find themselves on the shortlist for January's Shot of the Month.
"Happy that I stayed calm, not angry that I missed the two breaks that I was up with and keeping my calm to play my game. That tiebreak helped me play a better second set," she said.
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