Next night, Elise Mertens will play her fifth 1/8 final in Melbourne in ten appearances. It will be a high-end confrontation, facing Elena Rybakina, 5th in the world. The latter has beaten her six times in seven confrontations, but our compatriot is in good shape and confident. And is also in the 3rd round in doubles.
Model of regularity and consistency among the thirty best in the world Elise Mertens still gives the impression of having passed a small milestone in this women’s tennis which is always playing stronger, of having evolved her game, and her service, last year, to face it and respond better to it. At 30 years old, 21st in the world, she remains ambitious and works hard, often to good effect. Incidentally, she appreciates the air of Melbourne, that’s where in 2018 she reached the semi-final, beaten by Caroline Wozniacki after a match which even left her with “mixed feelings” as we remember. “I like being at home“, she smiled, “but I’m always very motivated when a new season begins, and the more relaxed atmosphere here has often worked well for me, it gives me confidence. Especially since we worked well in preparation and the results seem to follow.“
In any case, she escaped very well from the trap of a third round where she was waiting for Belinda Bencic, who had defeated her a week earlier at the United Cup, and where she instead found herself facing the Czech surprise (one more) of 19 years old, Nikola Bartunkova (WTA 126), in oppressive heat peaking at around 40 degrees. “Many matches were interrupted, not mine, we were able to play with the roof closed, with air conditioning, and my first set (6-0) was really very good, I also served very well“, she said. “It was tighter in the second (6-4), she raised her level as was to be expected, but tactically I maneuvered as needed, she is also a doubles player who likes to go up on the volley, I was prepared for it.”
After the trap, here is the main course. Facing Elena Rybakina, born in Moscow and naturalized Kazakh, she will no longer be a favorite at all and the numbers do not speak for her since in seven direct confrontations Elise has only won one, in 2020, on clay in Madrid. Their last match dates back to the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati last summer. Our compatriot had offered good resistance before giving in (4-6, 6-3) 7-5 in the third set after 2 hours 14 minutes of play. It is therefore, despite the statistics, a game that we are impatient to experience, Elise seems to be in good spirits, in shape and confident, we also know her formidable capacity for resilience. Remember that Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and played in the final of the same Australian Open the following year.
Published on 01-25-2026
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