Mercilessly outdone. Elise Mertens (WTA 28) was beaten 2-6, 3-6 in 74 minutes by an unleashed Aryna Sabalenka (WTA 5) at the Australian Open. Little could be done against this Belarusian steamroller.
In her first two rounds, shadow favorite Aryna Sabalenka only survived nine games. It was therefore clear to Elise Mertens that she would have to play hard to stop her former doubles partner in the third round of the Australian Open. However, the 24-year-old former world number two has special plans for 2023.
Knowing she’s had emotional breakdowns in the past and all too often going a little crazy on track, she worked on her mental aspect last winter, even experimenting with breathing techniques to keep her nerves in check. At Melbourne Park’s Margaret Court Arena, it quickly became clear that Sabalenka was boxing in a different category: with her strong service and powerful tennis and barely four unforced errors, she gave Mertens no chance to breathe. In just over half an hour she had the first set in her pocket.
Mertens failed to squeeze on serve from Sabalenka, which was necessary to really get into the fifth seed’s head.
At the start of the second set, Sabalenka immediately continued her momentum with a service break and a 2-0 lead. A normal person would have thrown in the towel at that moment, but Mertens fought back. She suddenly played a strong game and took advantage of the small chances that came her way.
The 27-year-old from Limburg then needed almost twelve minutes to make it 2-2, but it was nice how she tried to throw a bit of sand into the Belarusian machine. The only problem: Mertens couldn’t squeeze Sabalenka’s serve, which was necessary to really get the fifth-placed man’s head. At 3-4 she had to relinquish service again and moments later the fight was decided: 2-6, 3-6 for a fantastic Sabalenka who hasn’t lost a set this year and seems to be on her way to the final phase of this Australian Open.
“It’s hard to play against her because she’s such a good player and fighter,” said Sabalenka, who won the doubles title with Mertens in Melbourne in 2021. “That’s why I’m glad I was able to stay focused in two sentences.”
Mertens has no choice but to concentrate on the doubles tournament in Melbourne. Came across (much) stronger – Sabalenka hit no fewer than 32 winners – and trumped by a friend. Would that hurt less?
Source : HLN
