Brief
Elise Mertens defeats Iga Swiatek to reach China Open semifinal
Mertens' win over the No. 8 seed moves her into her first WTA 1000 semifinal since 2021.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated Poland's Iga Swiatek 7-6 (0), 6-3 on Friday in the China Open quarterfinals in Beijing, according to the Associated Press.
The match lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes, with Mertens overcoming the six-time Grand Slam champion and No. 8 seed in straight sets. The victory marks Mertens' first WTA 1000 semifinal since 2021.
After the win, Mertens said, “Sometimes you just grow into a tournament,” as reported by the AP. She will meet Olympic gold‑medalist Zheng Qinwen, who advanced by beating No. 6 seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8). Zheng was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Open as a qualifier.
Key facts
- Elise Mertens beat Iga Swiatek 7-6 (0), 6-3 in the China Open quarterfinals. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The match lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Mertens will face Zheng Qinwen in the semifinal. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Elise Mertens beats Iga Swiatek to set up semifinal against Zheng Qinwen in China Open”
