Historic Wheelchair Tennis Debut Completes Abu Dhabi Open Semifinals Lineup
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open reached a significant milestone on Thursday with the historic debut of wheelchair tennis. This groundbreaking event coincided with a thrilling quarterfinal round in which Clara Tauson, Sara Bejlek, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Hailey Baptiste advanced to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Highlights
In the singles quarterfinals, Clara Tauson showcased her skills by defeating McCartney Kessler. Tauson praised her performance, stating, “McCartney played some good tennis, but I also played well.” Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek triumphed over British No. 2 Sonay Kartal, allowing her to advance without losing more than two games.
The highest seed remaining, Ekaterina Alexandrova, eliminated Alexandra Eala in straight sets. Meanwhile, Hailey Baptiste battled through three sets to overcome Liudmila Samsonova.
Doubles Semifinal Recap
- In the doubles semifinal, Eala and Janice Tjen defeated Cristina Bucşa and Shuai Zhang.
Eala commented on the performance, emphasizing their aggressive approach: “When you have a good relationship with your partner, you’re not afraid to go with your gut.” This strong chemistry contributed to their success.
Historic Wheelchair Tennis Invitational
Away from the singles and doubles matches, the tournament launched its inaugural Mubadala Wheelchair Tennis Invitational, presented by the WTA Foundation. This event marked the first standalone WTA tournament featuring wheelchair tennis. The three-player format included wheelchair tennis star Jiske Griffioen from the Netherlands, who defeated Colombia’s Maria Angélica Bernal to secure a spot in the final.
Griffioen will compete against world No. 1 Yui Kamiji from Japan on Saturday. This unique event has already made a significant impact, according to tournament director Nigel Gupta, who stated, “Today has been historic for wheelchair tennis.”
Community Engagement
The day also celebrated inspiring encounters for fans. Wheelchair tennis champions Griffioen, Bernal, and Kamiji hosted a clinic with Heroes of Hope, a local non-profit sports academy. Additionally, Slovak player Tereza Mihalikova spent time with schoolchildren, signing autographs and engaging with young fans.
Sara Bejlek participated in a Q&A session at the Mubadala Hospitality Pavilion, further enhancing the event’s connection with the community.
Upcoming Semifinals Schedule
The semifinals are set for Friday. On Stadium Court, the doubles match featuring Mihalikova and Nicholls against Eala and Tjen will kick off at 4 p.m. Following that, prominent singles matches will see Baptiste face Alexandrova, and Bejlek clash with Tauson. On ADCB Court 1, Sofia Kenin and Desirae Krawczyk will battle against Alexandrova and Maya Joint in the other doubles semifinal.
The final of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is scheduled for Saturday, promising more exceptional tennis action.
