Melbourne: Unseeded Australian Open debutant Elise Mertens blew away World No. 4 Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0 here Tuesday to reach a maiden first Grand Slam semifinal. The Belgian World No. 37, on a 10-match unbeaten streak after winning in Hobart this month, knocked out the Ukrainian in 73 minutes.
Mertens, who is yet to drop a set, is the first Belgian to make the last four since Kim Clijsters in 2012. “I’m lost for words. I don’t know what to say. I just gave my all today and tried to stay aggressive,” she stated.
Mertens made all the initial running, returning aggressively and mixing up her game cleverly, taking every opportunity to approach the net and cut off Svitolina’s passing avenues.
She broke Svitolina in the third game and then again for a 5-2 lead. Serving for the set, Mertens fell behind 15-30, but composed herself and landed three first serves to secure the set 6-4.
The Belgian had powered 16 winners to Svitolina’s eight and significantly won nine of 12 points at the net. The second set was a runaway affair for her. She broke Svitolina at the start of the second and hit some brilliant double-handed passes on both flanks to finish off the match in a jiffy.
Agence France-Presse
