Miami [US], March 24 : World No.5 Ons Jabeur, who suffered an early exit in the Indian Wells Open after losing to Marketa Vondrousova in the third round, wasn't at 100 per cent going into the marquee event but the defeat gave her time to travel to Miami and get in some good practice sets.
"Brain and body feel good. I feel like I'm ready here for Miami. The body is getting there, and I'm really excited," the World No.5 was quoted as saying by WTA.com.
Jabeur underwent minor surgery after suffering a knee injury at the Australian Open and missed the Middle East swing. Although not everyone on her team thought she was ready for Indian Wells, she insisted, "I just didn't want to fall too far behind in the rankings."
Jabeur was reconsidering her decision after dropping the first set of her first match against Magdalena Frech, but she rallied to win in three sets. Her straight-sets loss to Vondrousova exposed some flaws in her game.
"It could have been worse for sure. The tennis is there, I just need to gain back some of the things I was doing before. I also feel my tennis is getting better, just with the technical things that I've been working on with my coach. I feel like this season is just starting now. This is my January," Jabeur said.
Her new season begins on Friday with a second-round match against qualifier Varvara Gracheva, who defeated Maryna Zanevska 6-1, 7-5. It's only her eighth match of the season, and it's one of 16 from the bottom half of the draw, all of which feature seeded players.
Jabeur defeated Gracheva 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 in the third round of the Madrid Open last Spring.
The main goal, according to Jabeur, is to play the entire season without taking a break. This isn't as simple as it sounds, given the physical and emotional demands of professional tennis.
"We're trying to do that, to listen to my body and not push too much. I also have a physio with me who can help me with stuff. Everybody plays with an injury. You just need to maintain a certain level to play good tennis and have a full schedule," Jabeur said.
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