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Tennis: Raducanu, Jabeur prep for 2023 with Abu Dhabi exhibition clash

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Rosy Mina

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Rosy Mina" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/15/20221215-emma-raducanu-via-rosy-mina.jpg"/><figcaption>Emma Raducanu at the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship Media Day. Photo by Rosy Mina.</figcaption></figure></div>ABU DHABI – 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and WTA World No. 2 Ons Jabeur continue to build on their preseason by participating in the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.“I think that the sense of competition and being able to have a match before next season starts is really important and I’ll be able to improve from there, see where I’m at competitively,” Raducanu responded to a question from ABS-CBN News during the MWTC Media Day at Yas Marina Circuit on Thursday.“It’s been a while since the last tournament so yeah, just putting more time on the tennis court really and looking forward to playing this event,” added the 20-year-old Briton and World No. 76, whose season ended in October due to a wrist injury.Jabeur, this year’s Wimbledon and US Open finalist, is glad to be back at the 14th edition of MWTC as the defending champion.“It’s always nice to be in Abu Dhabi. To be in an Arabic country, you know, it just feels like home,” said the 28-year-old Tunisian and reigning Madrid Open champion.Raducanu and Jabeur will face off for the first time on Friday in a winner-takes-all match at the International Tennis Centre of Zayed Sports City.Also seeing action at MWTC are six top-ranked males led by World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who is set to play on Saturday and Sunday.Almost two weeks since the conclusion of his Latin American exhibition tour with 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal, World No. 3 Casper Ruud of Norway is ready for more matches at MWTC.“The goal is just to try to have a good start of the year,” said the 2022 Roland Garros and US Open runner-up.World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, meanwhile, said his preseason is at “Stage 2 out of Stage 3.”He continued, “I’m feeling good, my body’s building up. I’m doing lots of physical training to get ready for the new season.”Defending champion Andrey Rublev of Russia, the World No. 8, noted the advantage of playing in a top-level exhibition event.“I think it’s helpful because here, straight away, I’m gonna have only one practice and tomorrow I have to face already a top player,” he explained.Rublev’s first opponent in Abu Dhabi is World No. 26 Borna Coric of Croatia, who replaced American World No. 19 Frances Tiafoe after being ruled out through injury.“Absolutely great for the preseason,” remarked Coric. “I’ve been in the preseason for the last couple of weeks and I do need some matches and a competitive match as well so it’s a very good test for me to see what I need to improve and also to see what I’ve done in the last 5 or 6 weeks of my preparations.”Rounding up the six male players is World No. 14 and British No. 1 Cameron Norrie.Prior to the Media Day interview sessions, Norrie, Coric, Rublev, Tsitsipas, Ruud, Jabeur, and Raducanu took part in a crossbar challenge on the track of Yas Marina Circuit.With a football goal post 20 meters away as the target, Coric was able to hit it twice with a tennis ball while Tsitsipas was the lone player to hit it with a football. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/12/05/22/from-desantis-to-jabeur-10-people-who-will-make-the-news-in-2023">From DeSantis to Jabeur: 10 people who will make the news in 2023</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/22/22/raducanu-feels-the-love-to-surge-into-korea-open-quarter-finals">Tennis: Raducanu feels the love to surge into Korea Open quarter-finals</a></li></ul><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1772548" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

ABU DHABI – 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and WTA World No. 2 Ons Jabeur continue to determinedly build on their preseason by participating in the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.