The Belgian Elise Mertens caused a stunt at Roland Garros on Friday. The number 28 in the world was too strong in the third round for top player Jessica Pegula, who was placed third in Paris: 6-1 and 6-3.
On the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Mertens rolled over Pegula in the first set. The 27-year-old from Leuven gave the American top player only one game and only needed 26 minutes to win the first set.
Both players started nervously in the second company. With a 1-2 score, Mertens fell behind for the first time in the match. Under the watchful eye of compatriot and four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters, Mertens held her own and broke Pegula twice. She finished the match on the French clay court on her first match point.
Mertens will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (WTA-333) in the eighth finals, who defeated Anastasia Potapova (WTA-25) in three sets. It is the third time in her career that Mertens has reached the eighth finals of Roland Garros. In 2018 and 2022 she stranded in the eighth finals.
Pegula made it to the last eight in Paris last year. The number one in American tennis has never made it past the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam.
Aryna Sabalenka also reached the eighth finals on Friday. She settled in more than an hour with Kamilla Rakhimova (6-2 and 6-2). It is her best performance ever at Roland Garros for the number two in the world. During the previous three editions, the third round was the final station for the Belarusian.
2023-06-02 13:12:20
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