Russian Qualifier Upsets Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in Miami

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia fields questions from the media during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia fields questions from the media during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Russian Qualifier Upsets Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in Miami

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia fields questions from the media during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia fields questions from the media during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Russian qualifier Varvara Gracheva overpowered fourth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-2, 6-2 on Friday in the second round of the Miami Open.

Jabeur, who is ranked fifth in the WTA, twice sought assistance from the training staff. She has been slowed by a knee injury this year, perhaps playing a role as Gracheva beat a player ranked in the world top five for the first time.

Gracheva said: "The plan was, of course like all matches, to be as stable as possible, to try to make her work as much points as possible, and of course wait for comfortable ones to attack."

Gracheva wound up saving three of the four break points she faced while converting five of her six break opportunities.

"I just probably caught this wave where I'm stable, where I always have a chance to play my game, be aggressive, cause troubles for the others by the game style," Gracheva said. "Just try to keep rolling on this way."

Two other highly seeded player joined Jabeur on the way out of Miami, as No. 5 Caroline Garcia of France and No. 7 Maria Sakkari of Greece both lost their second-round matches.

Romania's Sorana Cirstea cruised past Garcia 6-2, 6-3, while Canada's Bianca Andreescu overtook Sakkari 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Andreescu said of her victory, "I think the match was really good from both of our parts. Maria played amazing. She was playing very aggressive.

"I felt like I was on my heels a lot of the time during the match, but I made every ball. I fought to the end, and I think I played the important points just a little bit better today. But, yeah, it could have gone either way today."

Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus produced a 6-4, 6-3 win over the United States' Shelby Rogers. Ninth-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland demolished Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 6-1, but 11th-seeded Veronika Kudermetova of Russia fell 6-4, 6-2 to Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova.

Other second-round winners were 15th-seeded Petra Kvitova, 16th-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, 17th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 31st-seeded Marie Bouzkova and Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic; 18th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia; 19th-seeded Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin of the United States; 22nd-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia; and Magdalena Frech of Poland.



Defeated Villa Eager to Go Again in Champions League 

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
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Defeated Villa Eager to Go Again in Champions League 

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)

Narrowly defeated by Paris St Germain at the Champions League quarter-final stage, Aston Villa are now focused on getting straight back next year into Europe's top club competition.

"I am very proud of everything we did in the Champions League," Villa boss Unai Emery said as the dust settled from a pulsating clash with PSG whom they beat 3-2 in Tuesday's second leg but lost 3-1 to in the first game for an overall 5-4 defeat.

Villa are seventh in the Premier League but only a point off fifth which would secure them a Champions League berth again.

"It is now most important to get Europe again. The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches (of the Premier League) is to try and get Europe and the Champions League," Emery said.

His pride at Villa's strong showing, after a four-decade absence from Europe's elite, was tinged with frustration at just failing to pull off a remarkable comeback as they came so close to scoring a fourth goal at Villa Park that would have levelled the tie on aggregate.

"We were close," he said, adding that he had to push his team on to achieve ever more. "Still a little bit more to do better, to try to get it."

Aston Villa captain John McGinn, who scored on Tuesday, echoed the sentiment.

"Obvious disappointment but I am proud of my teammates, proud of the club. We have come a long way. We were so, so close tonight. We just fell a little bit short," he said.

"We had chances to take the game to extra time but we've got to be proud about the way we came back against one of the best teams in the world, to fight to the end. We want more. We want to be back here next season and we will try our best to do that."

McGinn said the players gave their all against a superb opponent. "We never gave up. It was chaos, but we gave absolutely everything and I think every Aston Villa supporter will leave with a huge sense of pride," he said.

"I've never played against Real Madrid or Barcelona, but in my career they (PSG) are the best team I have faced. I'm getting old and I certainly wouldn't like to play against them every week."