#EliseMertens’ dream week at the 2019 #QatarTotalOpen continues as she upset world number six #AngeliqueKerber to reach the biggest final of her career thus far. The Belgian excelled all week and received a tough draw due to her status as an unseeded player, but she was clinical throughout the week as she reached the semifinals without losing a set and defeating ninth-ranked Kiki Bertens in the process.
Meeting her in the last four was Angelique Kerber, who had to battle past Anett Kontaveit (she had lost 20/24 games against the Estonian previously) and narrowed a marathon win against Barbora Strycova in a final-set tiebreak. Kerber and Mertens had only met at the Hopman Cup in 2018, with the former world number one triumphing in two high-quality tie-break sets.
However, on this occasion, it was Mertens who impressively stayed and calm and overcame a mid-match slip-up against the experienced German, fighting for the excellent 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win over the third seed after just an hour and 47-minutes of action. Mertens is now through to her first WTA final outside the international tournaments and will face world number three Simona Halep there to vie for the biggest title of her career.
Mertens seals the opening frame
It was a terrific option to start the match on the return as Kerber won the coin toss and elected to receive. A couple of long rallies saw the German have the edge over the aggressive Belgian, and Mertens quickly found herself down multiple break points in the opening game. However, a series of strong serves and inspired play saw the unseeded player escape the early deficit and grab the confidence-boosting hold.
The quality of tennis being displayed on Centre Court was immense with Mertens’ powerful shots matching up well against Kerber’s but it was the most anti-climactic manner which saw the former world number one get broken in the fourth game — throwing in a double-fault on break point.
Mertens was serving exceptionally well as she fended off yet another break point, this time with an ace and she consolidated the break for a commanding 4-1 lead. However, Kerber experienced a mini-surge as she found life in her game; stepping up her aggression and staying toe-to-toe with Mertens during the baseline rallies.
Having faced a break point while serving down 1-4, Kerber erased the three-game deficit within a blink of an eye and Mertens started to experience periods of inconsistency within her game. However, she managed to find her groove just at the right moment, and Kerber completely lost the plot as errors crept into her usually-flawless game, allowing the Belgian to take the first set 6-4.
Kerber produces the perfect reply
Kerber plays the role of a Grand Slam champion, and a former world number one. A great champion like the experienced German should know how to survive such tough moments in a match, especially in matches where everything seemed to be going against you but you still have to find a way to escape from those tricky moments.
From 2-1 up in the second set, Mertens failed to win another game through the remainder of the set as Kerber truly stepped up her level and dictated play with her devastating forehands, which could be a real weapon at times. That forehand was in action when she needed it — helping her fend off a crucial break point in the sixth game as she consolidated the break for a 4-2 lead.
The depth of Kerber’s shots stunned Mertens as she started to miss every shot, and ultimately Kerber put in a perfect service game to close out the one-sided second set 6-2 which levelled the scores at one set all. It was a terrific response from the German, whose winning chances experienced a downward spiral after losing the first set.
Mertens books her ticket to the final
It seems as though a toilet break could be the solution to gaining back your momentum. Mertens rebounded back from her previous disappointment and eked out a tricky service hold at the start of the deciding set. Kerber, who looked so impressive towards the end of the second set, started to display some negative body language and that would ultimately explain the final result.
A stunning forehand down-the-line winner from Mertens set up break point but she was unable to convert as Kerber replied with a forehand winner of her own. Although the German managed to get onto the scoreboard, doom spelled for her as Mertens was finding her groove soon.
The down-the-line shots from Mertens are certainly killing Kerber’s pace as the unseeded Belgian grabbed the first break with a outstanding backhand, a shot listed as the WTA Shot of the Day. The adrenaline saw Mertens continuously firing winners at her own will, and Kerber could only watch a lob leap past her as she quickly found herself 1-4 down.
The sixth game of the match could well be the worst service game Kerber had played in this tournament as she committed four consecutive unforced errors and lost serve within just a minute as the lack of fight was evident from her body language and game play. On the other side of the court, it was a complete contrast as Mertens was getting fired up, and eventually closed out the match with an unreturnable serve.
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